An estimated 19 million children, more than ever before, were living in displacement within their own countries due to conflict and violence in 2019 – some of them for years, UNICEF said in a new report.

Today, more children than ever before are displaced within their own countries. At the end of 2019, an estimated 46 million people were internally displaced by conflict and violence. More than 4 in 10, or 19 million, were to be children.

Over the last decade, violent conflicts have surged by two-thirds and displacement is currently at a record high and length – around 71 million people have been forcibly displaced for as long as 20 years on average. In education, a different but equally serious crisis exists.

A new report launched today by Somalia—titled the Somalia Health and Demographic Survey (SHDS) Report 2020—offers the country’s decision makers and stakeholders vital information on the health and lives of Somali women of childbearing ages and children.

Global school closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic present an unprecedented risk to children’s education, protection and wellbeing.

Ongoing efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country have diverted attention and resources from already enfeebled healthcare facilities which are dealing with several deadly endemic diseases.

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact across the world. Efforts to contain the coronavirus are vital to the health of the world’s population, but they are also exposing children to increased risk of violence – including maltreatment, gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.

While cases of COVID-19 appear to be fewer among children (and symptoms generally milder), national responses to the pandemic can have important consequences for child nutrition and educational outcomes.

World Vision’s aspiration for all children is for them to be “Educated for Life” — from birth all the way through and beyond adolescence. We believe education plays an important role in breaking the cycle of poverty and helps children reach their full potential.