SEARCH RESULTS

Zimbabwe: Children on the frontline as climate and economic crises collide

Save the Children expresses deep alarm over the rapidly escalating and increasingly brutal violence against children in Zimbabwe. Recently, social media revealed a shocking rise in cases of children being sexually violated, beaten to death, burned, abducted or kidnapped thereby going missing, often at the hands of caregivers, relatives, community figures, or trusted adults.

Thousands of children in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique are at risk of deadly disease as the 2024 cyclone season threatens to bring more floods.

In August, Junior Parliamentarians from Hurungwe, Mudzi, Chiredzi and Harare met with Senior members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Child Rights, submitting a powerful motion that called for urgent national measures to protect children from child labour and child trafficking. The Senior Parliamentarians welcomed the motion and pledged to push it in the Parliament of Zimbabwe, ensuring that children’s voices are represented in national decision-making.

In Mt Darwin, Zimbabwe, the streets came to life with more than just the usual daily buzz. A mobile roadshow, led by the Ministry of Health and Childcare with support from Save the Children, brought entertainment and education on Cholera prevention.

Zimbabwe is facing a sharp rise in malaria cases, with over 130,000 confirmed infections and 365 deaths recorded as of August 2025, as reported by the Ministry of Health and Childcare (MoHCC)— a 302% increase from the same period last year. The surge has placed pressure on the health systems, particularly in Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, and Mashonaland West, which account for most of the cases.To complement the Ministry of Health and Child Care’s ongoing efforts to fight malaria, Save the Children through its Humanitarian Fund (HF), has launched the HF Malaria Response.

Between January and July 2025, Save the Children Zimbabwe and its partners supported communities to withstand drought, protect livelihoods, and safeguard children’s rights. Farmers in Matobo were equipped with drought-tolerant seeds, animal feed, and improved water systems, helping families recover and sustain their livelihoods. In Bulilima, mothers and children received nutrition support alongside strengthened community health groups, ensuring healthy growth and maternal wellbeing. Across the country, children are gaining new opportunities to read and learn through the distribution of literacy materials, teacher support, and digital learning tools. Communities also became better prepared to prevent cholera outbreaks through mobile awareness campaigns, while child protection structures were strengthened to fight child labour and trafficking. Children themselves played an active role in shaping national conversations on planning and budgeting. These efforts demonstrate Save the Children’s commitment to resilient communities, and a future where every child survives, learns, and is protected. Read our Impact Bulletin here: Save the Children Zimbabwe Impact Bulletin (January-July 2025) - Save the Children’s Resource Centre

Every morning in Chiredzi district, located in the southeastern part of Zimbabwe, bordering Mozambique and known for its sugarcane production, 12-year-old Rudo* (not real name) wakes up excited to put on her school uniform and head to school. For her, school is not just lessons- it is a place of hope, friendship, and the promise of a brighter future.

2019: Climate shocks claim more than 1200 lives across East and Southern Africa

Teachers' wellbeing is essential to children's development

The COVID-19 pandemic and my rights

Mother of two, Nodumo, struggled to provide enough breastmilk for her 7-month-old baby Isabel when severe drought impacted her farming business and forced her to live on one meal a day. She received a special nutritious porridge that increased her milk supply and when Isabel was old enough she also started eating it. Nodumo also joined a mother's group where they exchange parenting tips and learn about their children's health.

About one in 8 children globally have been significantly impacted by the 10 biggest extreme weather events so far this year, having to flee their homes, becoming reliant on aid or missing out on school, Save the Children said.

10 positive outcomes for children in 2022 from progress to ending child marriage to FGM

Cyclone Idai: 194 babies expected to be born daily amidst cholera, malaria outbreak

Children from rural and poor families are increasingly being left behind in global development, as the world falters towards its achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Children displaced by some of the worst flooding across southern Africa in decades are facing a growing health crisis, with a lack of running water and destroyed sanitation facilities fuelling a spike in waterborne diseases.

Children urge governments at first Global Ministerial Conference on ending violence against children to protect their futures

Our 2024 Annual Report details the organisation’s comprehensive efforts to improve children’s lives in Zimbabwe, focusing on Child Protection, Education, Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) and Health and Nutrition, Climate Resilience, Food Security and Livelihoods, and Child Rights Governance, alongside effective responses to humanitarian crises. Significant strides were made resulting in improved access to health, nutrition and WASH services, enhanced child protection systems, strengthened community resilience to the adverse impacts of climate induced disasters, improved educational outcomes for children and enhanced meaningful child participation. The report highlights both quantitative data and qualitative descriptions of program impacts, demonstrating improved outcomes for children through strong partnerships with the Government of Zimbabwe, donors and partners, communities and children themselves. Read full report: https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/save-the-children-zimbabwe-annual-report-2024

COVID-19: Children globally struggling after lockdowns averaging six months–Save the Children

Safe parenting means looking after your child's physical and emotional well-being.

"We want to learn like everyone else”: Children have their say

Voices from the frontline: Child survivors of Mozambique cyclones speak of trauma and recovery

LEBANON: Children survive on potato and rice as their food intake is cut in half

Seven essential steps to fight deadly cholera

Girls have 'mountain to climb' to achieve same opportunities as boys

Public figures, including world-renowned actors Will Poulter, Forest Whitaker, and Gillian Anderson add their voices to open letter to world leaders

Six children a minute left without caregivers from COVID-19 at risk of orphanages

SHIFTING POWER TO CHILDREN – OUR CHILD PARTICIPATION EFFORTS IN OUR LOCALISATION AGENDA

Children's Environmental Rights Initiative new report on climate finance not being child friendly

Cyclone Idai one year on: Southern Africa still devastated and vulnerable to climate shocks

Why the world urgently needs a global plan to get all children safely back to school

COVID-19: Children from poorest households across the globe have suffered greatest loss of family income, missed out most on education and faced the highest risk of violence at home

Holding the African Union Member States accountable to children

COVID-19 has hampered the ability of children with disabilities getting the quality education they deserve.

Girls and Young Women in the Era of COVID-19: An Urgent call for Action

Children’s lives have changed for the better in many ways in the 100 years since the Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child were endorsed

Save the Children’s analysis showed that more than 33 million children and 39 million adults live in both the “crisis” phase 3 of hunger as determined by the IPC

Almost 10 million children may never return to school following Covid-19 lockdown

How has COVID-19 made the hunger crisis worse?

Around one in two out-of-school children and adolescents live in countries at the forefront of the climate crisis, Save the Children analysis finds.