Around the world, the scale of humanitarian need is growing at an alarming pace. Our work is shaped by this reality.
Around the world, the scale of humanitarian need is growing at an alarming pace. The UNOCHA Global Humanitarian Overview 2025 shows that conflict, climate change, and long-lasting crises are combining to create an unprecedented emergency for millions of people.
Plan International’s work is shaped by this reality. Conflict-driven displacement has reached record highs, with roughly one in every five children—around 400 million—living in or fleeing from conflict zones. These numbers represent not only boys and girls whose lives have been uprooted, but also their families and communities who face daily uncertainty, disrupted livelihoods, and a loss of safety and stability. Women and girls are often the most affected, facing both a breakdown in essential services and a rise in gender-based violence.
The people working to help—especially local humanitarian staff—are themselves under threat. In many areas, aid workers face targeted violence, severe restrictions, and direct attacks while trying to reach those most in need.
Crises are also lasting longer, now averaging a full decade. As emergencies drag on, health systems collapse, life expectancy falls, maternal and child deaths rise, education stalls, and the risk of famine grows. The damage is not only immediate but generational, leaving whole communities struggling to recover long after the crisis ends.
Climate change is worsening the situation. More frequent and extreme weather events—such as droughts and floods—are destroying crops, livelihoods, and forcing entire populations to move in search of safety and food. Each disaster compounds the next, creating cycles of vulnerability that are harder and harder to break.
Plan International is committed to becoming the leading organisation for girls facing crisis or disaster, while also protecting boys and strengthening the resilience of entire communities.
We aim to respond fast and effectively to any emergency, combining immediate humanitarian relief with long-term development and support for social cohesion, so communities can recover, rebuild, and prepare for the future.
We provide both funding and technical expertise for life-saving interventions, including education in emergencies, child protection, health services, and livelihood support.
We work with our country offices, partners and communities before, during, and after crises—preparing communities to withstand shocks, delivering urgent relief when emergencies hit, and supporting recovery so that boys, girls, and their communities can survive, rebuild, and look forward to a safer, more secure future.
MHPSS is part of Plan Ireland’s integrated approach in emergency and protracted crises, implemented through the “Playful Minds for Wellbeing” initiative a play-based PSS approach using storytelling designed by our EiE/PSS team.
Plan International Ireland helps children cope with stress and trauma through our “Playful Minds for Wellbeing” programme. This approach uses play and storytelling to support children’s mental health in emergencies and ongoing crises.
Why Play Matters
In crisis situations, children often lack access to professional mental health services. Our play-based approach fills this gap by offering a child-friendly way to help children process difficult experiences and build strength to face challenges. Through engaging activities and stories, children learn coping skills while having fun.
Research from the LEGO Foundation shows that play activates important parts of children’s brains, helping them remember information, solve problems, and feel more in control of their lives. This means our programme doesn’t just help children feel better emotionally—it also supports their learning and development during difficult times.
Real Results
Our approach works in schools and communities, making it flexible enough to reach children in different situations, including those who’ve been displaced from their homes.
When we measured the impact of our programme, we found encouraging results:
This programme is part of Plan International Ireland’s wider commitment to supporting children through integrated, effective responses to emergencies and long-term crises.
