New York: The continuing conflict in the Middle East could push more than 23 million additional children into poverty by the end of this year, according to a new analysis released by UNICEF. The United Nations Children's Fund has warned that the economic effects of the war are spreading far beyond the region, threatening the well being of millions of families across the world and reversing years of progress made in reducing child poverty.
The report, titled The Impact of the War in the Middle East on Children in Monetarily Poor Households, examines data from more than 167 countries. It concludes that rising food and energy prices, along with disruptions to global trade and shipping, are placing a growing financial burden on families. UNICEF says the poorest households are being hit the hardest, leaving millions of children at greater risk of hunger, poor health, interrupted education, and long term hardship.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said children are paying a heavy price for a conflict that is affecting not only those living in the Middle East but also families in many other parts of the world. She warned that the longer the fighting continues, the more serious the consequences will become for children everywhere.
According to the report, the conflict has created economic shocks that are driving up the cost of essential goods. One of the major concerns is the disruption to global shipping linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for international trade and energy supplies. These disruptions have contributed to higher prices for food, fuel, and other basic necessities, reducing what families can afford to buy.
Russell said the rapidly increasing cost of living is making food and education unaffordable for many families already struggling to survive. She stressed that children who are already living in poverty face the greatest danger, as these financial pressures can deepen deprivation and leave lasting effects on their physical and emotional development.
The UNICEF analysis outlines two possible scenarios depending on how the conflict develops in the coming months. In a moderate or adverse scenario, around 18.3 million additional children could fall into monetary poverty. In a more severe scenario, where the conflict continues and economic disruptions become even greater, the number could rise to 23.4 million children by the end of the year.
The agency warned that monetary poverty often leads to wider challenges for children. Families with fewer financial resources may struggle to provide nutritious food, healthcare, education, clean water, and other basic services. As a result, children face greater risks of malnutrition, poor learning outcomes, and reduced opportunities later in life.
UNICEF has called on governments, international financial institutions, and donor countries to take urgent action to protect children from the worst effects of the crisis. The agency urged leaders to safeguard funding for essential services such as healthcare, nutrition, education, and child protection, even as governments deal with growing economic pressures.
The organisation also recommended expanding social protection programmes, including child focused cash assistance, to help vulnerable families cope with rising living costs. It stressed the importance of ensuring that support continues even as governments reduce subsidies or introduce economic reforms.
In addition, UNICEF called for measures to guarantee uninterrupted access to affordable essential services and supplies for children and families. It also urged the international community to create greater financial flexibility for countries under economic strain, including debt service suspension or debt restructuring in places where debt repayments are limiting spending on health, education, and social protection.
The agency further recommended strengthening emergency preparedness systems so that assistance can reach children quickly whenever future economic or humanitarian shocks occur. UNICEF said stronger global cooperation will be essential to reduce the impact of ongoing and future crises.
Russell warned that the current crisis is putting both the lives and futures of millions of children at risk. She said failure to respond quickly could allow conflict, economic instability, and rising prices to push millions more children into deeper poverty. Without urgent action, she cautioned, many of the development gains achieved over recent years could be lost, leaving the world's most vulnerable children to bear the greatest burden of a crisis they did not create.