UNICEF is predicting a dark future for the worlds poorest children in 2030 if action is not taken to revert current trends.

This is according to UNICEF's flagship annual report "The State of the World's Children" which was released on Tuesday.

The report predicts that by 2030 which is the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals, all things being equal ,167 million children will live in poverty. 69 million children under five years will die from mostly preventable causes and 750 million women will be married off as children.

The report acknowledges the progress made so far. Mortality rate of children under five has reduced, the number of children living in extreme poverty has been reduced and  the number of children enrolled in school has increased.

The report attributes the progress made to the rise of mobile and digital technology which has made it easy for information sharing  as well as reaching communities which were hard to reach.  Oral - Re hydration salt and vaccines have also been "practical and cost effective".

According to the report, the difficulty in reaching the rest of the world's poorest children and families with assistance is no longer technical.  What is needed is political commitment, resources and collective will "to tackle inequity and inequality head-on"

In sub- Saharan Africa the situation will be grimmer as at least 247 million children live in multidimensional poverty. Sub-Sahara will account for half of the 69 million children who will die before turning five. 9 out of 10 children will live in poverty.