COVID-19

CAMPUR, Guatemala — “My dad used to sell things at the farm supplies store over there,” Juana, 9, says as she points over the water from a boat, navigating the remains of her hometown. “This was a mill. There used to be a store over there. There was a house here.” She hesitates, the sound of her voice replaced now with the hum of the boat’s engine…

KROONSTAD, South Africa – It’s early morning on the outskirts of Kroonstad, about 200 kilometres south of Johannesburg. Three young boys are sitting by the side of the road chatting, but their heads turn quickly to watch a large truck displaying three giant LED screens as it passes slowly by. “I realized this thing [COVID-19] was real when it took…

In times of crisis, children suffer the most. The COVID-19 pandemic is no different. The impacts of this pandemic will be felt for years to come, but it’s already clear that COVID-19 has exacerbated poverty and inequality in conflict-affected countries, adding massive pressure to already overwhelmed social and health systems. The result is more…

When COVID-19 hit Burundi, UNICEF and partners set to work on a massive communication campaign promoting handwashing with soap to stop the transmission of the virus. Immediately, a serious issue needed to be addressed: how can Burundians practice hand hygiene when many cannot afford buying soap? Nearly 90 per cent of Burundi's 12 million…, Making handwashing accessible, To help solve this problem, UNICEF approached SAVONOR, the biggest industrial soap producing company in Burundi, and reached an agreement: SAVONOR would reduce its own profit margin in soap production, and UNICEF would further subsidize the production – effectively cutting the price of soap in half. SAVONOR would also use its distribution system…, Spreading the word, Making soap affordable was only part of the solution. In partnership with the Ministries of Health and Communication, UNICEF developed messages on COVID-19 prevention measures to reach Burundians in every province. Mini radio programmes and television spots were broadcast on every media outlet in Burundi. UNICEF developed training modules and…, Tangible results, During the first four months of the programme, SAVONOR was producing 10 million bars of blue soap every month. By September 2020, the initiative had produced and sold over 20 million bars throughout Burundi’s 18 provinces. Risk communication and support to hygiene in healthcare facilities helped complement public health and the economic benefits…, Widespread support, In June, newly elected President Évariste Ndayishimiye publicly expressed his support for the initiative, bringing even greater visibility and awareness of the importance of hand hygiene. With its widespread capacity for coordination and communication, Government involvement was critical to the success of the communication campaign and to…

CARACAS, Venezuela – After more than 20 years working as a teacher, Alibert is familiar with the ups and downs that come with her profession, including the myriad challenges of providing an education against the backdrop of an unfolding economic and political crisis. But nothing could have prepared her for the massive upheaval and uncertainty…

  In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, governments around the world have mobilized billions of dollars to save their economies. But there is another impending and devastating loss if we do not act: a lost generation of children. Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals is slipping backwards , and children continue to pay the steepest…

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted education around the world. School closures due to the pandemic have affected around 1.5 billion children. Teachers have gone above and beyond to support their students and to help them keep learning by whatever means possible. Many have embraced new ways of teaching, including online, over radio, television or…, Afghanistan, “Let’s come together, help our children and provide them with quality education.” Latifa Shafahi is a teacher in Bamyan, Afghanistan, where children are coping with the threat of conflict and COVID-19. Latifa notices the psychological impact these have on her students and tries to make classes engaging and friendly. Under national school safety…, Ghana, “I do not want the children to suffer the same as I did.” Musah Samata could not complete her basic education while growing up in Ghana. Today, as a volunteer mother she helps children learn during the pandemic by assisting in classrooms and care centres. Her goal is to ensure children don't lose out on their education during school closures. In…, Turkey, “Their desire to learn … [was] the most important factor encouraging me to continue my effort.” Aylin Tufan is a guidance counsellor in Turkey who helps Syrian refugee children and adolescents through issues such as discrimination, child labour and child marriage. When she heard that one of her students was being forced into marriage, she was able…, Uganda, “We try to get the children to inquire and discover on their own.” When schools closed in Uganda, school teacher Irene Nyangoma saw some of the challenges parents were facing in keeping children learning. She thought that seeing teachers on a television screen might help them stay engaged and helped launch a TV show to help her students learn.…

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a devastating toll on hundreds of millions of people across the globe. But it is children and their families who are being hit hardest by the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Before COVID-19, children were twice as likely as adults to be living in extreme poverty. Now, the number of children living below…, Sierra Leone, Isatu está sentada con su hijo Roy en un mercado de Freetown, Sierra Leona. Isatu está sentada con su hijo Roy en un mercado de Freetown, Sierra Leona. Even before the pandemic, 66 per cent of Sierra Leone’s children were living in poverty. Now, with millions of families’ finances even more precarious, children are at an even greater risk of…, Thailand, Tukta, a la derecha, junto a su familia. Tukta, a la derecha, junto a su familia. Thailand is working hard to control the spread of COVID-19, but it is already clear that the economic and social impact on the country’s most vulnerable families is severe. With the Thai economy projected to shrink by close to 8 per cent this year, UNICEF and…, Sri Lanka, La familia de Wasana juega al aire libre en Colombo, Sri Lanka. La familia de Wasana juega al aire libre en Colombo, Sri Lanka. Before the pandemic, Wasana and her family lived a relatively comfortable middle-class life in Colombo. But a stringent curfew aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus turned the small family’s import business –…, Madagascar, Emilie, que es parapléjica, entra con ayuda a una tienda de Antananarivo, Madagascar. Emilie, que es parapléjica, entra con ayuda a una tienda de Antananarivo, Madagascar. More than two thirds of children in Madagascar live in what is known as multidimensional poverty – without access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation or safe…, Guatemala, Telma cose mascarillas utilizando un patrón que se descargó de internet, en Guatemala. Telma cose mascarillas utilizando un patrón que se descargó de internet, en Guatemala. The strict lockdown in Guatemala was particularly devastating for the roughly 60 per cent of the population already living in poverty. Telma was one of the many parents who…, Tajikistan, Una mujer sostiene a un niño pequeño en Tayikistán. Una mujer sostiene a un niño pequeño en Tayikistán. As one of the most remittance-dependent economies in the world, Tajikistan has been hit particularly hard by the global crisis. A World Bank report in July found that some 40 per cent of families in the country reported reducing their food…

COVID-19 has impacted the lives of millions. But despite school closures and other lockdown measures, the young people in this video series are finding new and interesting ways to stay engaged whilst coping with home-schooling and staying indoors. From dance to sport, from cooking to art, they are turning to their passions and interests to stay …, Uruguay: Roni’s banana bread recipe, Roni, 12, lives in Montevideo, Uruguay with his parents, two siblings and their dog. He is a self-taught skateboarder who loves to cook in his spare time. He finds the best thing about the pandemic is that he has a lot of free time to cook, skateboard and read. His advice for other children during the pandemic: “Do something you’ve never done…, Indonesia: Crafting characters with Quinsha, Quinsha, 9, feels like she’s at school even though she’s at home thanks to her family. Every day she and her little brother have school lessons with their mom who is also now their teacher. When she’s done with learning, she spends time with her family, playing with her brother or preparing meals with her grandma who says it’s like making crafts…, Brazil: Dancing with Gabriel and Sofia, Gabriel, 15, and Sofia, 11, live with their large family in Curitiba, Brazil. They both love to dance and watch Youtube videos to learn and improve their moves. It inspires them to improvise and create more. They keep busy and try to stay away from worrying by being close to their family, playing with their dog, learning online and dance. “I know…, Egypt: Basketball and pancakes with Hala, From her room, Hala, 12, makes basketball videos with her friends for TikTok. They invent new moves and pretend they are training on the court. She has also learned cooking, yoga and gymnastics during the lockdown. She finds self-reliance to be the best part of learning at home. Her advice to anyone upset about being at home: “Do things that make…, Greece: Zack’s lesson in time-management, For Zack, 18, knowledge is everything in an ever-changing world. After arriving from Ghana on a boat, he embraced school and learning. But coronavirus and the lockdown changed everything and he has had to look for new ways to stay focused and motivated. He likes to plan his day and works towards his future goal of owning his own organization that…

An entire generation has seen its education interrupted. At the height of nation-wide lockdowns in April, approximately 91 per cent of the world's students in more than 194 countries were out of school. This has caused immeasurable disruption to the lives, learning and wellbeing of children around the world.   UNICEF is working together with…, Cambodia, Back to school in Cambodia: A student reads an open book on her class desk A student at Preah Norodom Primary School in Phnom Penh. Children started returning to schools on 7 September with both teachers and students wearing masks, observing physical distancing and following safe practices. UNICEF has been working with Cambodia’s Ministry of…, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Back to school in DRC: A student wearing a face mask writes her exam in class. Elodie, a final year secondary school student in Kinshasa, takes her exam while wearing a mask. On 10 August, schools across the Democratic Republic of the Congo reopened to allow final year students to take their exams. Through the “Masks made in DRC” initiative,…, Georgia, Back to school in Georgia: a teacher faces a student in a sparse classroom. Despite physical distancing and regular temperature-checks, there is a mood of celebration and relief among children, teachers and parents alike on the first day of school in the town of Sagarejo. The new academic year began on 15 September in Georgia. UNICEF and other…, Ghana, Back to school in Ghana: school students wearing face masks cycling to school Students in Ghana wearing face masks on their way to school on 22 July. UNICEF supported the Ministry of Education to develop safety precautions for the reopening of schools. As part of the Government’s efforts to ensure that education continues, final-year students were…, Jordan, Back to school in Jordan: students stand around a flag during morning assembly Girls on their first day back to school at Aisha bent Al Mo’meneen school in Amman. Schools reopened in Jordan from 31 August for the first time since closing in March due to COVID-19 prevention measures. UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education’s Safely Back to…, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Students entering the gates of their school On 18 May, Lycée de Vientiane, a public school in Vientiane, Lao PDR’s capital, welcomed back over 900 of its students. After a two-month-long school closure in Lao PDR and with no new cases reported in over a month, the Ministry of Education issued Safe Schools guidance for schools to reopen in phases.…, Mauritania, Back to school in Mauritania: students raising their hands in a classroom Students attend classes at the Bekar O Soueid Ahmed school, south of the capital Nouakchott. After several months of school closures, students in Mauritania returned to classrooms at the beginning of September. Among the precautions put in place by the Ministry of Health are…, Mongolia, Back to school in Mongolia: a girl getting her temperature checked at school A student gets her temperature checked before the start of class. Schools and kindergartens in Mongolia reopened on 1 September with prevention and precautionary measures including restrictions on the number of children in each classroom to no more than 20 pupils and…, Sri Lanka, Back to school in Sri Lanka: students washing their hands at the school taps Students wearing facemasks wash their hands at their school in Sri Lanka. Schools reopened on 6 July for certain grades after being closed since March. As part of our going ongoing COVID-19 response work for schools in Sri Lanka, UNICEF supports the Government in…

COVID-19 has caused unprecedented disruption to education, with a peak of more than 1.5 billion children in 190 countries out of school. During this time, teachers have gone to incredible lengths to help their students keep learning. To every teacher around the world, we have two words for you: Thank you! From children and young people in Bhutan…, We asked children what they're looking forward to most about going back to school,   We asked 14 children what they were looking forward to most about going back to school after #COVID19 closures. Their answers are adorable. pic.twitter.com/re6VghnoA4 — UNICEF (@UNICEF) September 7, 2020

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is of a scale most people alive today have never seen. Worldwide, the outbreak is claiming lives and livelihoods as health systems buckle, education is disrupted and families struggle to stay afloat.  Communities across the globe are rising to the challenge – from health and social workers risking their…, What is UNICEF doing to support children during COVID-19? , Our response to the coronavirus disease must reimagine a world fit for every child. History has shown that UNICEF, together with partners, has the experience and reach to improve the lives of millions of children and their families. We were there for the post-World War II refugee crisis – and have responded to every natural disaster, armed…