EU humanitarian aid contributes US $ 19.9 million to UNICEF to strengthen preparedness, resilience, education in emergencies and protection for vulnerable children across Latin America and the Caribbean

Panama City, 18 August 2026.-  In 2026, the European Union has allocated US $ 19.9 million to UNICEF to support vulnerable children and families across Latin America and the Caribbean through programmes focused on disaster preparedness, education, child protection and assistance for the most vulnerable children, including refugee and migrant populations.   

The EU funding includes funds dedicated to strengthening preparedness and resilience in Indigenous communities across the Amazon basin, as well as support for refugee and migrant children and families in transit in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago. It will also help expand education and child protection services for vulnerable children and adolescents in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras.  

 Additionally, EU funding supported national projects across the region, including efforts to strengthen child protection and education continuity for children affected by, or at risk from, conflict, armed violence, and other emergencies in Ecuador and Colombia; deliver integrated child protection and education in emergencies services to the most vulnerable in Haiti.  In Venezuela, EU humanitarian funding has supported, and will continue to support, UNICEF’s earthquake response, providing life-saving assistance to affected children and families while helping to strengthen community resilience and recovery. 

At a time when climate-related hazards, displacement and humanitarian needs continue across the region, this contribution will help ensure that vulnerable children are better protected, prepared and able to access essential services when they need them most. 

"Preparedness and timely action are essential to protecting children in a region increasingly affected by climate-related emergencies, displacement and other complex crises, " said Roberto Benes, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean. "Thanks to the European Union's continued support, UNICEF and its partners will be better equipped to help vulnerable children and families anticipate risks, strengthen resilience and access life-saving services when emergencies strike." 

“The EU continues its commitment to support effective and efficient humanitarian actions in Latin America, anticipating the impact of shocks and building resilience for vulnerable children via our longterm and solid partnership with UNICEF,” said Luigi Pandolfi, Head of EU Humanitarian Aid in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

Ahead of World Humanitarian Day, the European Union and UNICEF continue to work together to protect children's rights and provide life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable children and families across Latin America and the Caribbean, while strengthening communities' preparedness capacity. 

Vulnerable communities in the Amazon Basin 

Indigenous children and communities across the Amazon basin face compounding risks from climate shocks, environmental degradation, and limited access to essential services. Record droughts in 2023–2024 affected over 700,000 people, followed by severe floods impacting around 133,000 households in 2025. In Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, these crises are increasing risks of disease, malnutrition, displacement, service disruptions, and protection concerns, especially in remote indigenous territories.  

In response, the European Union has allocated more than US $2.2 million to support UNICEF and partners in strengthening early warning systems, anticipatory action, community preparedness and child-centred disaster risk reduction in remote Indigenous communities across Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. 

Education and Child Protection for Children in Central America 

Across Central America, violence, forced displacement, inequality and climate-related shocks continue to affect children's safety, wellbeing and access to essential services. In Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras, overlapping humanitarian needs are placing increasing pressure on already stretched protection systems. 

The European Union is contributing more than US $ 1.3 million to support education in emergencies, child protection, including psychosocial support, and essential health services. With EU funding, UNICEF will continue to implement a child‑centred, multisectoral response to strengthen protection systems, expand safe access to education, and enhance cross‑border coordination, including family reunification.  

Children on the Move  

Migration dynamics across the region continue to evolve, with reduced regular pathways and increasing return movements. As a result, many children and families remain exposed to significant protection risks, including exploitation, trafficking and violence along migration routes. 

Through this new US $ 3.2 million, UNICEF will support vulnerable children and families on the move through integrated child protection, education and essential services, while strengthening national systems, coordination mechanisms and cross-border responses in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. 

Since 2024, European Union funding has enabled UNICEF to strengthen humanitarian responses in child protection, education and essential services, reaching more than 132,000 refugees, migrants and stateless people across the region.