As we approach World Refugee Day 2026, 1 in 5 children are either living in or fleeing conflict zones, and children make up 41% of all refugees. At the same time, programmes focused on children continue to be underfunded, and additional cuts in assistance have exposed the most vulnerable to immediate and enduring dangers — visible in empty plates, shuttered schools, and a daily struggle to survive. 

As hunger tightens its grip across the globe, World Vision remains hopeful. This year’s study charts a way forward.

In the shadow of hunger, self-reliance shields children from risks, restores agency, and turns survival into possibility, but it remains out of reach for many households.