What’s at stake for children in East Asia and the Pacific
The stakes are high — but we have the power to rise to the challenge
Climate disasters. Online abusers. Toxic air. Failing food systems. Pushbacks against human rights and gender equality. A mental health emergency.
Children in East Asia and the Pacific face a world unlike the one they faced only a few years ago.
What they need now isn’t just help, it’s a movement of hope, driven by people who refuse to give up.
Children in East Asia and the Pacific
East Asia and the Pacific is home to 531 million children. Families in the region are living longer, having fewer children and moving more frequently. More and more children are calling a city home.
The region stands on the very frontlines of economic growth, urbanization, and digital transformation. Home to a vibrant private sector, innovations are flourishing across the region. Passionate, engaged youth are leading movements to further improve the lives of children and young people.
Impressive progress for children has been made over the years. More and more children are going to school; more and more children are protected against life-threatening diseases; more and more legislation is being introduced to protect children against harm.
But escalating humanitarian crises, climate disasters and funding cuts are now jeopardizing hard-earned progress for children, leaving millions of girls and boys at risk.
And as the region undergoes swift change, so do the risks to children.
These are some of the biggest challenges children in East Asia and the Pacific face today:
Surviving and Thriving
- 1.8 million children have not had any lifesaving vaccines.
- 40.5 million children under 5 aren’t growing or developing as they should.
- 21 million children are stunted.
- 5.7 million children are wasted.
- Half of children under 5 have at least one micronutrient deficiency.
- 11 million children under 5 are overweight.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
- 848 million people lack safe sanitation services.
- 81 million people are without basic drinking water.
- Almost 45 million children have no place to wash their hands with soap and water at home.
- 37 million children have no place to wash their hands with soap and water at school.
- In health care facilities:
- Over 1 billion people go without basic handwashing stations.
- 196 million people have no safe water.
- 48 million go without basic toilets.
Violations of Childhood and Harmful Practices
- There are fewer girls than boys in the region; for every 10 boys, there are only 9 girls.
- 95 million girls were married before the age of 18.
- 81 million girls have experienced sexual violence across Eastern and South-East Asia and Oceania.
- 80 million girls in East Asia have suffered the devastating practice of female genital mutilation & cutting, leading to lifelong trauma.
- Alarming numbers of children have been victims of online sexual abuse — including being blackmailed or coerced into sexual acts and sharing intimate images. Research reveals that in some countries, as many as 1 in 5 children have experienced such abuse.
Education and Skills
- Nearly one in two children are unable to read and understand a simple text by age 10.
- 32 million children and adolescents are out of school.
- 160 million youth are not in employment, education or training — 75 per cent of them are adolescent girls and young women.
- In 2024, 50 million children had their learning disrupted by climate change.
Climate and Environment Dangers
- Over 100 children under 5 die every day from air pollution-related causes.
- 443 million children are facing at least three climate shocks (typhoons, droughts, heatwaves, wildfires, air pollution, storm surges and landslides).
Every one of these challenges will be amplified by climate change.
Children in East Asia and the Pacific already suffer six times more climate disasters than their grandparents. And as more destruction arrives every year, striking health, homes and futures, this region stands among the most exposed on Earth.
Children, especially the youngest and poorest, suffer first and suffer most.
They need us, now, to confront the root causes of climate change and adapt vital services like education, healthcare, nutrition, water, sanitation and child protection, to withstand the shocks of a warming world.
"I have lots of friends at school and I miss them already."
What we need to do next
The stakes for today’s children are high.
But with the right policies, investments, and partnerships, the rewards for the region, and its children, are even greater.
Our power is in our passionate people, our long-standing network of dedicated partners, the deep-rooted trust we’ve built with communities and families over eight decades, and our ability to consistently deliver impact at scale.
We’ve made impossible possible before. And we can do it again.
Now is the time to come together and do what’s right. To stand for children, to fight for their future, and to prove that hope will always win.
Will you join us?
Help us, help children
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