The number of children needing humanitarian assistance rose more than 20% this year to 149 million, with Afghanistan then the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) most severely impacted, according to a Save the Children analysis of the top seven emergencies impacting children in 2022.

Afghanistan topped the list with an estimated 14 million children in need of aid in 2022, according to the analysis. This follows a year when conflict, the climate crisis, and economic devastation created a perfect storm of suffering for millions of children around the world, a statement by the organization said.

Afghanistan was closely followed by the DRC, which has an estimated 13.9 million children in need of humanitarian assistance. Despite having the largest overall number of people in need in 2022, the DRC’s humanitarian response has received less than half of the funding target set by the UN.

Ethiopia, Yemen, and Pakistan also featured on a list by Save the Children of the seven emergencies where the highest number of children were in critical need of essential services such as food, clean water, shelter, and mental health and psychosocial support.

Globally there are now more conflicts than at any time since the end of World War Two, and they all have a devastating impact on children’s lives, the organization stated.

Chris Nyamandi, Country Director of Save the Children Afghanistan, said: “Afghanistan has long been one of the worst places to be a child, but over the past year, the situation for children in the country has grown even more desperate.

“Children are going to bed hungry night after night. Millions are at risk of severe malnutrition and other life-threatening illnesses. Families are taking desperate measures to survive – sending their children to work or surviving on bread alone.

“It’s a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale the country has never seen before, and it’s only set to get worse with temperatures already dropping below freezing in many parts of the country and millions of children living without proper shelter or even a blanket to keep them warm. The fact it is the biggest humanitarian emergency in the world for children should move the international community from words to action,” he said.