The UNICEF 75 report, Preventing a lost decade: Urgent action to reverse the devastating impact of COVID-19 on children and young people was launched recently. Anchored by new data analysis on the impact of COVID-19 on children and our anniversary narrative, our flagship report shows how COVID-19 is the most devastating global crisis for children in our 75-year history, putting years of progress in education, vaccinations, and equality at risk. 

In less than two years, 100 million more children have fallen into poverty, a 10 per cent increase since 2019.

The deep disparity in recovery from the pandemic is widening the gap between richer and poorer countries. While richer countries are recovering, poorer countries are saddled with debt and development gains are falling behind. The poverty rate continues to rise in low-income countries and least developed countries.

Without action, the world faces a lost decade for children, leaving the Sustainable Development Goals an impossible dream. The report calls for making our collective future – our children – first in line for investment and last in line for cuts with an ambitious agenda for action based on UNICEF’s 75 years of experience, research and practice and 75 years of listening to children and young people.

As UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore writes in the report’s foreword, “The world stands at a crossroads. We have a decision to make. Do we rally and unite to protect years of progress on child rights? Or do we allow the unequal recovery from COVID-19 to further marginalize the disadvantaged and increase inequality even more?”

The full report is available here.