World News & Stories

As governments ask millions to stay home and close schools and public spaces in order to contain the outbreak, children, especially the most vulnerable, will face increased risks of psychological distress, violence and social exclusion. 

Simple soap and water are one of the best defences against COVID-19. But, without soap, children aren’t amply armed to ward off deadly viruses like the novel coronavirus.

Global aid groups are growing increasingly concerned that the novel coronavirus could decimate some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. 

In South Sudan, World Vision staff are working hard to help families prepare and protect themselves from COVID 19. 

Funded by Global Affairs Canada, World Vision recently completed construction of a solar-powered water network in the world’s largest refugee camp. This innovation comes just as the COVID-19 pandemic is gripping the world. 

Two billion people live in places classified as fragile contexts. Marred by conflict and violence, fragile contexts are some of the most dangerous places to live.

15-year-old Fadi lost his arm in an airstrike in northern Syria. Now he and his family are navigating life in a displacement camp with close to one million other people whose homes have been destroyed.

The Democratic Republic of Congo crisis is no single disaster. Conflict fuels the fires of poverty, rape and the deadly Ebola virus. And that’s just the start of what people here endure. You can help through Raw Hope.

16-year-old Martine is advocating for vulnerable children in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the world’s most dangerous places.

Nesadin and his family escaped conflict in Sudan for a refugee camp in Kenya. But what does the future hold for a boy growing up on the run?

17-year-old Shames and her mother lost everything when they fled civil war in Syria. Now they live as refugees in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. She worries about her mother's health, and how they will make ends meet from day to day. One day she hopes to return to Syria and complete her education, but for now it's out of reach. 

Nine-year-old Shahid started working nights with his dad when his parents could no longer afford school fees. He's angry and scared about his future, but what choice does he have? 

Ten-year-old Raja was badly injured by a bomb during the battle for Mosul. She lost her left hand and is unable to walk. How will she overcome the physical and emotional scars of war? 

Amina is just two years old and severely malnourished. Her family lost everything in a drought that began long before she was born. Read her story.

Jehovanise, Rebecca and Diane fled conflict, malaria and flooding in Burundi. They lived in Tanzania for three years, but life in the refugee camp is hard. They've returned to Burundi seeking hope for a better future, but is it too soon? 

Even before her abduction, Agnes’ childhood had already been shaped by war. Millions of South Sudanese children endure chronic hunger in the chaos wrought by violent conflict. They’ve endured illness, gone without schooling, grown up in fear. 

 

Lionel became a soldier at age 11. He did it to stay alive. The soldiers who gunned down his terrified community members, killed is parents. Lionel was alone in the world. 

 

It was evening in Marie’s village in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Supper was finished. Families enjoyed the cool of the evening, lingering around the lantern, laughing and telling stories. Suddenly, gunfire pierced the night. And Marie’s life was split in two.  

 

Being a kid should be magical, filled with wonder, adventure and fun. But for millions of children living in the world’s most dangerous places, childhood is often the first thing to go. 

In Canada, where most families have enough to eat, it's easy to become complacent about the idea of hunger. In the developing world, it's a different story.