UNICEF warns 20 million children and families are at risk from international funding cuts

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday that more than 20 million children and families are at risk because of a shortfall in international funding.

The agency said in a statement that 2025 saw the sharpest annual decline in international co-operation, with aid falling by 23%, and cautioned that the cuts could directly affect children at a time of increasing global instability.

International funding cuts put children at risk

Five countries account for 95.7% of the decline: Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and France.

UNICEF said the progress made so far is under threat, including a 60% reduction in child mortality since 1990 and improved access to vaccines, safe drinking water and education. These advances have saved at least 154 million lives over the past 50 years - equivalent to one life every 10 seconds.

UNICEF support in Colombia

One example is Sebastián, a 19-year-old who grew up in Colombia’s Cauca region, an area severely affected by conflict and the presence of armed groups. He received UNICEF training on the dangers posed by explosive devices.

“"In my municipality and department, children as young as 12 join armed groups, but thanks to the support and UNICEF, I was able to build my own life. Education opened doors for me and allowed me to break free from the patterns I see every day among boys and girls of my generation, who are forced to take part in coca cultivation and are recruited by armed groups,"” he told the agency.

For these reasons, UNICEF urged countries to sustain funding and make a collective commitment to children’s rights, so that more than 11 million children do not lose access to water and basic sanitation, and two million do not lose access to education.