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.
Some key findings
This World Refugee Day, we stand with children and families displaced by conflict and crisis.
From South Sudan to Sudan, Cox’s Bazar to Colombia, this film shares the voices of children and families fighting to protect their futures in the face of hunger, insecurity, and lost opportunity.
Their stories remind us that behind every crisis is a child trying to stay in school, a family trying to survive, and a future still worth fighting for.
We do what we can to survive. Everyone tries to make do with what they have. But it’s very difficult because job opportunities are scarce here. When there’s no regular income, it becomes almost impossible to feed the whole family properly.
We have basic needs that we cannot meet such as food, water, and healthcare. As long as these things are lacking, it is difficult for us to talk about self-reliance.