This Background Note, commissioned by UNCEF, explores the impact of the global financial crisis on children in the Middle East and North Africa. Drawing on research from six countries -- Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen -- the paper presents a framework for analysing the impact of shocks on children in the different contexts in the region, reviews existing evidence on the fallout of the crisis and suggests initial policy implications. It calls for age- and gender-specific responses to the crisis, urging governments to see the crisis as an opportunity to strengthen social protection systems.