ACT member DSPR provides support to displaced people in Gaza during the ongoing conflict. Permission has been granted for these images. Photo: Mahmod Elbaragethi/DSPR
Casal dels Infants – New crisis for children is emerging as global conflicts intensify, inequality deepens, and the effects of climate change grow more severe. UNICEF’s latest report, Prospects for Children 2025: Building Resilient Systems for Children’s Futures, highlights the critical need to strengthen national systems designed to protect children and ensure they have access to necessary support. As the world enters 2025, the risks facing children have reached a disturbing level, requiring immediate and decisive action to safeguard their futures. This report outlines the major challenges children will face, particularly in conflict zones, financially strained nations, and environments increasingly affected by climate-related disasters.
One of the most alarming developments in recent years is the sharp increase in the number of children living in conflict zones. By 2025, over 473 million children—more than one in six worldwide—will be residing in areas plagued by armed violence. This is a significant rise from the 1990s, when roughly 10% of children were living in such conditions. Today, nearly 19% of children across the globe are enduring the horrors of war and violence.
Geopolitical rivalries, coupled with the dysfunction of international systems, have made conflicts more frequent and widespread. Both state and non-state actors seem increasingly willing to ignore laws that protect civilians, resulting in devastating attacks on schools and hospitals, which directly impact children’s safety. Beyond immediate danger to life, children in these zones also face displacement, malnutrition, and exposure to diseases, not to mention long-term psychological trauma caused by witnessing violence and instability.
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The global financial system is increasingly failing to provide the necessary resources for child welfare. Developing nations face mounting challenges in funding essential services for children due to slow economic growth, growing debt burdens, and inadequate tax revenue. Approximately 400 million children live in countries under severe debt distress, and the cost of servicing this debt is squeezing out critical investments in education, health, and other sectors vital to children’s well-being.
In 2025, there are crucial opportunities for reforming the international financial system to ensure that countries can invest in their children’s futures. Without reform, the debt crisis will continue to deprive millions of children of opportunities for a better life.
The effects of climate change are disproportionately affecting children, with lifelong consequences for their health, development, education, and overall well-being. In 2025, children in low-income countries are expected to bear the brunt of climate-related disasters, such as floods, droughts, and extreme weather events, all of which disrupt their lives and prospects for the future.
Despite the severity of the situation, there is an opportunity to make progress toward global climate goals in 2025. Policymakers must prioritize climate resilience and ensure that children’s needs are integrated into climate action plans. These efforts must include financing, regulation, and monitoring systems designed to protect children from the worst impacts of climate change.
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On a more positive note, advancements in digital technology are creating new opportunities for children in areas like education and communication. A key trend in 2025 is the growth of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), which can help provide equitable access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and social support. DPI has the potential to transform how governments deliver services to children and their families, enabling better access to resources.
However, inequalities in digital access remain a significant barrier, especially in low-income and least-developed countries. Additionally, ensuring the protection of children’s data and privacy is critical to avoiding new risks in the digital world.
The crises facing children today will put additional pressure on the international governance system. The future of global governance in 2025 hinges on whether nations and international organizations can come together to address these challenges or whether divisions will further undermine collective action. This is a pivotal moment for global cooperation, and the decisions made in the coming years will deeply impact efforts to protect children’s rights worldwide.
Finally, UNICEF’s report emphasizes the need for systems that not only address the current crises facing children but also prepare for the challenges ahead. The New Crisis for Children requires adopting inclusive, equitable, and accountable systems that put children’s rights at the forefront. This approach is essential for ensuring a brighter future for the next generation. Governments, institutions, and organizations must act now to secure children’s futures in a world that is rapidly changing and increasingly unstable.
