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For World Humanitarian Day 2026, Gabriella Waaijman, Chief Operating Officer, Save the Children International, reflects on the growing barriers preventing humanitarian aid from reaching children caught in conflict. Drawing on experiences from Haiti and other crisis settings, she calls on governments to uphold international humanitarian law, protect aid workers, and ensure every child can access the support and protection they need.

"Darfur once commanded the world's attention. Today, despite the extraordinary scale of suffering, the crisis receives only a fraction of the international attention it deserves."

Millions of people have been displaced, communities have lost access to basic services, and families are struggling every day to meet their most basic needs.

Shurouq, 32, is a Save the Children staff member in Gaza. Shurouq lost her husband after he was killed in the first weeks of the war. Along with her 3-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Karmel*, Shurouq has been displaced many times during the war.

For children caught up in war, disaster and displacement, education can be a lifeline. UNIQLO, payment provider Adyen, and Save the Children are working together to provide safety, learning and hope for children in crisis.
 

Nora Ingdal, Save the Children Lebanon Country Director, reflects on her recent trip to southern Lebanon where she found destruction after months of war. 

On 16 April 2026, a temporary and conditional ceasefire was announced and later extended, bringing critical relief to children and families in Lebanon. Despite the “so-called” ceasefire, Israeli forces continued to carry out daily airstrikes that have resulted in hundreds of casualties, including children. 

This open letter, written by children and young people in Ukraine, shares their lived experience of war, describing disrupted education, displacement, and daily uncertainty. It highlights their resilience and hope. Children and young people in Ukraine are calling on world leaders to include youth in rebuilding efforts and to invest in education, mental health, and inclusive recovery so every child can help shape Ukraine’s future.

In this staff account, Shurouq shares the reality of Gaza’s worsening food crisis after 1,000 days of war. Families face soaring food prices, aid restrictions, destroyed farmland, extreme heat, and pests, making it increasingly difficult to access nutritious food and meet basic needs while struggling to survive daily.

Valentina works with Save the Children in Venezuela. She was in Caracas on the night of Wednesday 24 June when the twin earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck.