A child./ PHOTO ; Pexel
UNICEF has called for US$1 billion through its 2026 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal to support 16 million children across 22 countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, as crises in the region push humanitarian needs to unprecedented levels.
Rising hunger, ongoing conflicts, climate-related disasters, mass displacement, and shrinking humanitarian funding are driving the surge in needs, according to the UN agency.
“This appeal comes at a critical time, when vulnerable children and their families are in urgent need due to overlapping emergencies worsened by global funding shortages,” said Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Kadilli, who recently visited South Sudan, described families repeatedly displaced by conflict and floods as living “on the brink,” with limited access to essential services.
“Sadly, this is a trend across the region, where children are paying the highest price as humanitarian budgets decline,” she added.
In 2025, UNICEF faced one of its most severe funding gaps, leaving almost US$700 million unmet, or 60 per cent of its total request.
These shortfalls forced the agency to make difficult choices, Kadilli explained, including prioritising the most vulnerable children and, in some cases, reducing service frequency or scaling back interventions relied upon by families for survival.
Despite the funding constraints, UNICEF and its partners have continued to deliver lifesaving support thanks to flexible funding.
By mid-2025, nearly 900,000 children received treatment for severe wasting, 12 million children were vaccinated against measles, and about 4.4 million people gained access to safe water.
UNICEF is adapting its humanitarian response to meet evolving challenges while remaining grounded in child rights and the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action.
Key focus areas include prioritising lifesaving interventions, strengthening partnerships with governments and local actors, investing in preparedness and risk analysis, and building resilient national systems to enhance humanitarian response.
“We remain committed to supporting the region’s most vulnerable children despite immense challenges,” Kadilli said.
“Predictable, flexible funding is essential to ensure children continue receiving lifesaving support and can survive and thrive with dignity.”
UNICEF is urging governments, public donors, and private sector partners to increase investment in children, particularly through flexible and multi-year funding, support for locally led responses, upholding humanitarian principles, and removing barriers that limit access to those in need.
Urgent needs across the region
Eastern and Southern Africa are facing one of the world’s largest displacement crises, partly driven by conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with more than 13 million people uprooted.
Children face heightened risks of separation, recruitment, violence, and exploitation, while 46 million children remain out of school.
Malnutrition is at critical levels, with 4.2 million children under five suffering from severe acute malnutrition and one in three children, 25 million, experiencing severe food poverty.
Public health crises are also intensifying, with 19 of 22 countries facing outbreaks of cholera, mpox, Ebola, Marburg, and vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and polio.
Cholera cases increased 21 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024, while deaths rose 35 per cent.
UNICEF is fully funded by donors, enabling rapid emergency response, scaling of proven solutions, and investment in long-term development.
The agency urges the public and institutions to contribute to the 2026 appeal to protect the lives and futures of millions of children across the region.
Help us tell more untold stories of African Philanthropy!
