India, Oct. 19 -- UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, speaking at the High-Level Workshop on Sovereign Debt and Capital Flows in Developing Countries in Crises: One Year After the Jubilee Report on Oct. 15, 2026, said debt decisions have “profound consequences for children” and called for changes to debt and economic policymaking that place children at the center.
Scale of debt pressures on children
Russell said the “scale of the problem is alarming,” citing spending patterns that, she said, leave children at risk of missing out on adequate nutrition, healthcare, and learning.
She highlighted the following figures:
* In 34 countries, home to 1.1 billion children, governments spend more on interest payments than on health.
* Acr...