Overview
- UNICEF reports 417 million children face severe deprivation in at least two essential areas, including 118 million with three or more and 17 million with four or more shortfalls.
- The analysis of 130 countries identifies sanitation as the most pervasive gap, with 65% of children in low‑income countries lacking access to a household toilet.
- Humanitarian needs are acute, with 213 million children in 146 countries requiring urgent assistance, according to UNICEF.
- Progress has stalled in recent years due to conflict, climate shocks, sovereign debt burdens and cuts to official development assistance.
- In Peru, 3.6 million children live in poverty and 800,000 in extreme poverty; UNICEF praises the Programa Juntos and urges parties ahead of 2026 elections to adopt child‑focused priorities and expand proven protections, while UN monitors warn that in Argentina 57% of children live in households that cannot meet basic needs.