Future Impaled

Around the world, childhood is being robbed. Runaway national debt, increasing conflict and climate shocks are killing innocence and potential on a massive scale

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Hundreds of millions of children are trapped in a vicious cycle of deprivation, a reality made urgent by debt, war and climate crises

¢ live in a world where childhood is under siege.

Millions of children wake up each day not with the promise of play, education or growth, but with the anxiety of survival. They open their eyes to many ugly questions: will they have enough to eat, drink safe water, have a toilet or a roof overhead? This is not a dystopian fantasy, but reality. At least 417 million children in lowand middle-income nations, (more than one in every five) are deprived in at least two of six essential areas—nutrition, sanitation, health, education, housing and water. More disturbing, 118 million live with three or more severe deprivations, while 17 million face four or more.

This crisis is fuelled by a convergence of toxic forces. Worldwide, rising debt, escalating conflict and the fury of the climate are eroding hard-won gains. In its ‘State of the World’s Children 2025’ report, UNICEF reveals that many developing nations globally now spend more on interest payments than on healthcare, while nearly half of all children live in countries at extreme risk from climate hazards; from flooding to droughts to blistering heat.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell captures the moral urgency for concerted and targeted action: “When governments commit to ending child poverty, they can unlock a world of possibilities”

Global Backlash Intensifies