World Refugee Day 2026: Inside three of the world’s most urgent displacement crises

These children and families experience severe hardships—like hunger, violence, exploitation and more—that are too often overlooked. 

Today, we honor the courage, resilience and inherent dignity of the 123 million refugees and internally displaced people, while recognizing the life-threatening challenges they face—and how we can deliver the support they need to build a brighter future. 

Somalia: Parents determined to save their children from starvation 

Six years of severe drought in Somalia have left millions of children in crisis. 

Families in Somalia depend on livestock and crops as their primary source of income and food. But more than 3.5 million livestock have died in the drought, devastating families' livelihoods.  

Without a reliable income, nearly four million families—roughly one in five Somalis—have been forced to leave their homes in search of food, water and work. 

Almost 740,000 of these internally displaced people have settled in the Baidoa District. But with the devastating combination of drought, armed conflict and severe international funding shortfalls, children and families still can’t access the life-saving resources they need—like clean water and nutritious food. 

In response to this crisis, the Baidoa District Hospital, operated by SOS Children’s Villages Somalia, has seen a drastic increase in child malnutrition cases.  

The hospital, which usually admitted 80 children per month into its malnutrition stabilization center, is now serving more than 150 children per month—and numbers are steadily climbing. 

“We had to expand the stabilization center into the pediatric unit,” said Mohamud Mohamed, the hospital administrator. “Then, we expanded into another unit to create space for new patients as the general hospital is also at full capacity. You’ll still see many children without a place to admit them. Many are dying from malnutrition. We need support to continue this life-saving work.”  

Read more about our comprehensive work to end hunger in Somalia and Somaliland. 

Gaza: Conflict drives child hunger and trauma 

The United Nations estimates that 90% of the population in the Gaza Strip is internally displaced.  

Many displaced families have been forced to flee up to 10 times, compounding the trauma children experience in times of crisis—especially as they continue to battle hunger, worsening malnutrition and even, in severe cases, starvation. 

“These children have lost everything—homes, families, a sense of safety,” says Reem Alreqeb, Gaza program director for SOS Children’s Villages in Palestine. 

Learn how prolonged hunger leaves children with profound trauma. 

Ethiopia: Drought and conflict drive hunger for IDPs 

Approximately 85% of the population in Ethiopia relies on agriculture for a steady income and nutritious food. But as drought devastates crops and conflict forces people from their homes, children and families are slowly starving. 

More than 15 million people in Ethiopia face acute food insecurity—exacerbating hunger for the more than 1.8 million children already suffering from life-threatening malnutrition.  

But thanks to SOS Children’s Villages, which believes no child should go hungry, more than 400 internally displaced families have the nutritious food they need​ to feed their children.  

Generous donors helped SOS deliver a two-month emergency food distribution in Tigray, where families received wheat, lentils, cooking oil and other essential, nonperishable food supplies to end their child’s hunger and fuel their bright future. 

How you can support a child on World Refugee Day 

Millions of displaced people and refugees worldwide handle these unimaginable challenges with resilience and courage—but they shouldn’t face the devastating impact of displacement alone. 

Children remain the most vulnerable in times of crisis. No child should go hungry. No parent should watch their child waste away, helpless to provide the healthy meals they need to grow, learn and play. 

You can be the difference between starvation and survival for a child today. 

With your gift to our Full Bellies, Bright Futures Food Drive, you can send the life-saving food a child needs to fuel their body, nurture their mind and reach their full potential.   

Your support doesn’t just fill a child’s plate now—it fills entire communities’ hearts with hope.    

Your gift today can:    

— Deliver emergency food assistance and prevent starvation.   

— Equip families with seeds and agricultural training to weather climate disasters.   

— Protect children’s health and futures with life-saving medical care that combats the devastating effects of malnutrition.    

Together, we can end childhood hunger and deliver the nutritious food children need to learn, grow and thrive—no matter the state of the world around them. 

End hunger for a child