Funding for children impacted by violence is at a record low amid a series of ongoing crises, new report warns 

Monday, September 26, 2022
  • Only 0.78% of total 2020 ODA investment (US$1,757.3billion) is spent on ending violence against children, a 10% decrease since 2018 

  • The total amount of ODA investment per child is just US$0.64 per child, the lowest amount since 2015 

  • COVID-19, conflict and climate change have placed more children at risk of violence in 2022 than at any other point in the past 10 years 

26 September 2022 – A report released today by World Vision in partnership with four other aid agencies* uncovers the total amount of Official Development Assistance (ODA) investment in addressing violence against children is just US$0.64 per child; the lowest amount since 2015. This is despite mounting evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict, and climate change have collectively placed more children at risk of violence than at any other point in the past 10 years. 

Counting Pennies III, published today by World Vision International and partner agencies Save the Children, UNICEF, Plan International, and Child Fund, is the third in a series of reports identifying how much international aid was spent to end violence against children over the course of one year. It reveals donors reduced funding by 10% in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the prevalence of child marriage, child labour and other forms of violence against children were on the rise. The cost of tackling the consequences of such violence amount to a staggering annual cost of US$2 trillion to US$7 trillion. 

Andrew Morley, World Vision International President & CEO, said: “One billion children are experiencing violence each year yet the efforts to end the violence remain alarmingly underfunded. Donors must urgently scale up funding to respond to the impacts of the pandemic on children as well as the pre-existing widespread needs.”  

“After many years of improvements, for the first time in decades, there are concerns of increases in child labour, child marriage and other forms of violence online and at home.  Preventing violence against children is critical for achieving improved health, education, and economic outcomes, as well as breaking intergenerational cycles of violence and closing gender equality gaps,” added Morley. 

Counting Pennies III calls on donors to prioritise funding towards the strengthening of national systems to prevent violence against children and scale up evidence-based solutions. The global community needs to better track resources and increase overall investments on ending violence against children with a goal of meeting the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.  

Mr. Morley concluded, “Without an increase in ODA funding, specifically targeting programs focused on ending violence against children, achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal targets will remain off track and generations to come will suffer.” 

ENDS 

For more information please contact: 

Niamh Cooper |Director of Public Engagement| Global Marketing and Communications (Based in Ireland) World Vision International| Email: niamh_cooper@wvi.org|Skype: Niamh.cooper5 |Phone: +353 87 942 3371

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian and development organisation dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice.    

World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.  For more information, please visit www.wvi.org or follow us on Twitter @WorldVision     

Ending Violence & Peacebuilding It Takes A World To End Violence Against Children