Middle East and North Africa Region Appeal

Overlapping and protracted crises in the Middle East and North Africa are compounded by complex and converging risks that disproportionately affect children, particularly those in vulnerable households. As a result, 92.6 million people, including 44.8 million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance. 

In the State of Palestine, escalating violence in the West Bank and the conflict in the Gaza Strip have created a devastating humanitarian situation with regional impacts. Famine (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Phase 5) was confirmed in parts of the Gaza Strip (1 July 2025 - 30 September 2025), reflecting catastrophic nutrition conditions for children and vulnerable populations. Neighbouring countries including Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic face increasing challenges in providing services to vulnerable populations who have been impacted and are absorbing displaced people. Further escalation could aggravate fragile political and humanitarian conditions across the region, significantly affecting Palestinians as well as host communities.

The Sudan is home to the world’s largest child displacement crisis, with millions forced from their homes internally and across borders. Famine has been confirmed in parts of the country. Egypt, the largest recipient of Sudanese refugees, hosts an estimated 1.5 million Sudanese (780,000 of whom are registered) who have fled the conflict since April 2023. Libya hosts more than 357,000 Sudanese. Hosting large numbers of refugees places immense pressure on both countries' national systems.

In Yemen, years of conflict, economic decline and climate shocks have left families struggling to access food, healthcare and education. 

In the Islamic Republic of Iran, one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting countries, economic constraints and sanctions limit humanitarian capacity. The June 2025 escalation of conflict with Israel further increased vulnerability and overstretched national services, risking regional spillover. Although the return of Afghan refugees accelerated in mid-2025, 4.2 million remain in the Islamic Republic of Iran, placing pressure on national systems. An acute water crisis threatens population displacement from the capital, Tehran. 

In the Syrian Arab Republic, insecurity, displacement and drought-like conditions continue to strain communities and hinder the delivery of essential services. Returning refugees and internally displaced persons require sustained reintegration support. In Iraq, accelerated returns from Al-Hol camp in the Syrian Arab Republic mean that many require urgent assistance, particularly women and children. Iraq's worst water crisis in 80 years threatens people's access to safe water and heightens their risks of disease and of climate-induced displacement. 

In North Africa, complex migration flows intersect with intensifying climate risks, including droughts, floods and water scarcity. Algeria continues to host Sahrawi refugees, while ongoing instability in Libya may drive refugees and migrants, including children, across borders. In Morocco, unaccompanied and separated children remain highly vulnerable, and drought and post-earthquake recovery continue to strain communities.

In 2026, guided by the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, UNICEF will strengthen preparedness and deliver urgent, timely and effective humanitarian assistance across the Middle East and North Africa region. 

The Regional Office will support country offices in enhancing their overall preparedness, including monitoring current and emerging risks, developing scenarios to anticipate crises and implementing fully costed contingency plans (including subregional approaches) that will enable the rapid allocation of funding, technical support and supplies. The Regional Office will lead cross-border and subregional collaboration to ensure timely and coordinated assistance. It will provide leadership, coordination, advocacy and surge support for emergencies, facilitating strategic planning, information-sharing and rapid deployment of human, operational and financial resources. It will also ensure minimum emergency preparedness and response capacity across country offices and partners through technical and operational support and through tailored learning and capacity-building initiatives. The Regional Office will enhance preparedness to ensure children receive life-saving and dignified assistance in the event of a crisis. Support will also focus on accountability to affected populations and localization by strengthening feedback systems, integrating local needs into decision-making and empowering local actors to deliver context-specific, effective and sustainable humanitarian assistance. These efforts aim to enhance the dignity, capacities and resilience of the most vulnerable. Through technical guidance and operational support, country offices will be better equipped to negotiate and maintain principled humanitarian access, unblock constraints and apply risk-informed strategies to reach the most vulnerable children and families. 

UNICEF’s response will encompass core sectors including nutrition, health, WASH, education, child protection and social protection. UNICEF will deliver urgent assistance to Palestinian populations in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. In Libya, UNICEF will support life-saving assistance and essential services for Sudanese refugees and host communities. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, UNICEF will support refugees and host communities, while scaling up preparedness for potential conflict escalations, climate-related risks and earthquakes. In Iraq, children and families affected by returns from northeast Syria and by camp closures, along with host communities, will access integrated services. In Algeria, UNICEF will continue responding to the needs of Sahrawi refugees. In Morocco and Tunisia, UNICEF will reinforce humanitarian preparedness, with a focus on children on the move and those affected by climate-related risks. 

Through these efforts, UNICEF aims to provide timely, equitable and coordinated humanitarian assistance that is gender-responsive and inclusive, reaching children and families in need across the region.