Vulnerable Children

Description

The Vulnerable Children account supports children who experience serious deprivation and danger. It includes those who are living outside of family care; have been trafficked; are experiencing violence; are affected by humanitarian crises; have disabilities; are orphans; or are otherwise vulnerable because of HIV/AIDS, acute illness, or premature birth.

Use of Funds

Vulnerable Children programming reduces risk to vulnerable children worldwide by delivering essential, life-saving services and increasing governments’ capacity to assess and monitor childcare systems.

Justification

• Between January 2020 and May 2022, nearly 8 million children lost a primary or secondary caregiver due to COVID-19.
• Each year, 1 billion children aged 2 to 17 years old experience some form of physical, sexual, or emotional violence or neglect. As of 2021, only 4 million children across 129 countries received social work, health, or justice services to address this violence.
• In 2021, UNICEF reported that around 1.2 billion children lived in countries with complex emergencies, and children account for more than half of the civilian casualties of landmines and explosive remnants of war.
• Global government investment specifically directed at ending violence against children decreased by 50% in 2020 compared to 2018.