“Put Us at the Centre” – What Children and Young People in Humanitarian Crises Asked For – and the Decisions that Followed (2026)

Children, adolescents and youth experience distinct and often severe impacts in humanitarian crises, yet the system continues to fall short in meaningfully engaging and being accountable to them. Research by Save the Children, Plan International and Norwegian Refugee Council—drawing on 24 consultation reports, a six-country humanitarian planning and financing analysis, and primary data from 451 young participants in Mali, Nigeria, Uganda and Ukraine—shows consistent priorities across ages and contexts: quality education, food security and livelihoods, child protection, and meaningful participation. Despite these clear, repeated messages, humanitarian responses remain misaligned, further strained by 2025 funding cuts. The report calls for decisive reforms that centre children and young people in decision-making, embed accountability throughout the Humanitarian Programme Cycle, strengthen youth-led, child-focused and local organisations, and shift from basic consultation to principled partnership. As the Humanitarian Reset advances, the sector faces a crucial opportunity—and responsibility—to rebuild legitimacy by grounding decisions in the realities, rights and agency of children, adolescents and youth.