Global

James Chinomba sits on the balcony with his youngest son Wisdom, a bright five-year-old boy, before going off to feed the pigs and tend to his farm after a day at work. James is   a   health worker at the Chileka Health Center in central Malawi. When he heard the malaria vaccine was being rolled out as part of a pilot programme, he signed up…, Malaria vaccine in Malawi, Since 2019, health centers in Malawi like Chileka, have been part of a pilot programme for a malaria vaccine supported by UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization. Children are given four jabs from the age of five months to their final dose at 23 months. The programme has shown to reduce symptomatic malaria cases by 75…, More on vaccines

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 18 April 2024 – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and UNICEF welcome the news that a new oral cholera vaccine (OCV), Euvichol-S, has now received WHO prequalification and can be made available to countries around the world. The prequalification of this new product will help EuBiologics, the manufacturer, produce more volumes of vaccine,…

From widespread killing, maiming, abduction and sexual violence to recruitment into armed forces and groups and strikes on schools and hospitals, as well as essential water facilities – children living in conflict zones around the world continue to come under attack on a shocking scale.  To better monitor, prevent, and end these attacks, the…, 1. Killing and maiming of children, Killing and maiming of children can be a result of direct targeting or indirect actions, including torture. Killing and maiming can occur through crossfire, landmines, cluster munitions, improvised or other indiscriminate explosive devices or even in the context of military operations, house demolitions, search-and-arrest campaigns, or suicide…, 2. Recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups, Recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups refers to compulsory, forced, or voluntary conscription or enlistment of children into any kind of armed force or armed group. The use of boys and girls by armed forces or armed groups can be in any capacity, including as fighters, cooks, porters, messengers and spies, or when they…, 3. Attacks on schools or hospitals, Attacks on schools or hospitals include the targeting of schools or medical facilities that cause the total or partial destruction of such facilities. Schools and hospitals should be protected spaces, where children are safe even in times of conflict, yet continued attacks on such facilities have underscored the catastrophic impact of armed…, 4. Rape or other grave sexual violence, Conflict-related sexual violence remains one of the most disturbing violation of children’s rights and has often been used as a tactic of war. Rape or other grave sexual violence includes acts of rape, other sexual violence, sexual slavery and/or trafficking, enforced prostitution, forced marriage or pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or sexual…, 5. Abduction of children, Abduction of children refers to the unlawful removal, seizure, capture, apprehension, or enforced disappearance of a child either temporarily or permanently. Whether it’s an intentional act of violence or retaliation, to instill fear among populations, or to forcibly recruit and/or sexually abuse children, abduction is one of the most pervasive…, 6. Denial of humanitarian access for children, Denial of humanitarian access for children includes the intentional deprivation or impediment of humanitarian assistance essential for children’s survival by parties to the conflict, including willfully impeding the ability of humanitarian or other relevant actors to access and assist affected children in situations of armed conflict.  Warring…, What UNICEF is doing , Lebanon. A Syrian refugee holds a box of supplies. A Syrian refugee holds a box of supplies in Lebanon. UNICEF and partners are continuing to provide care and protection for children living through war, advocating on their behalf, and engaging with all parties to conflict to ensure their rights are upheld. In addition to providing emergency and…

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 20 March 2024 – Immediate action is needed to stem an unprecedented multi-year upsurge in cholera cases worldwide, according to the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision. Actions include investing in access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene, testing and detecting outbreaks quickly, improving quality of…

Climate change is disrupting weather patterns, leading to more frequent and more intense extreme weather events, unpredictable water availability, exacerbating water scarcity and contaminating water supplies. Such impacts can drastically affect the quantity and quality of water that children need to survive. Today, a change in climate is felt…

Most people know that you can’t survive without water. But the truth is slightly more nuanced. You need more than just water – you need SAFE water. You also need safe toilets to keep the environment clean, and as well as soap and water to stop the spread of disease. Find out more about why safe water, sanitation and hygiene are so important: 1.…

NEW YORK, 6 February 2024 – “Today, on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, we reaffirm our dedication to the girls and women who have been subjected to this grave violation of human rights. Every survivor's voice is a call to action, and every choice they make in reclaiming their lives contributes to the global…

COVAX will close 31 December 2023 having delivered nearly 2 billion doses of vaccines to 146 economies, and averted an estimated 2.7 million deaths in AMC lower-income participating economies.   COVAX’s end-to-end efforts helped lower-income economies achieve two-dose coverage of 57 per cent, compared to the global average of 67 per cent.   Low-…

Escalating conflicts, disasters, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks have combined to create unprecedented global humanitarian needs in 2024. From Haiti, to the State of Palestine and Sudan, grave violations , violence and devastated essential services are leaving millions of children at risk. Meanwhile, climate shocks, food insecurity, and…, Afghanistan, Afghanistan. A group of girls drink water from a tap installed with UNICEF support in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. A group of girls drink water from a tap installed with UNICEF support in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. Afghanistan is home to one of the most crushing humanitarian crises in the world. After decades of conflict, Afghans have been cut…, Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso. A mother holds her baby at a health centre in Fada. A mother holds her baby at a health centre in Fada, Burkina Faso. More than 3 million children in Burkina Faso require humanitarian assistance against the backdrop of ongoing conflict and massive internal displacement. Burkina Faso is located in the Sahel region, which is embroiled…, Cameroon, Cameroon. A child sips from a cup after a cooking demonstration in Garoua-Boulai, Cameroon. Children receive a nutritious meal after a cooking demonstration in Garoua-Boulai, Cameroon. Cameroon faces a complex mix of armed conflict, inter-communal violence, an influx of refugees from neighboring countries, disease outbreaks including cholera and…, Central African Republic, Central African Republic. A child rests on a bed in the nutrition clinic at L’hôpital de Bossangoa in Bossangoa. A child rests on a bed in the nutrition clinic at L’hôpital de Bossangoa in Bossangoa, Central African Republic. The Central African Republic is one of the toughest places in the world to be a child. Widespread violence and displacement…, Chad, Chad. A mother carries her child on her back at a refugee site in eastern Chad, close to the border with Sudan. A mother carries her child on her back at a refugee site in eastern Chad, close to the border with Sudan. Conflict-induced displacements, a nutrition crisis, natural disasters resulting from climate change, epidemics, poverty, and…, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A baby is screened for malnutrition by a nurse at a UNICEF-supported health centre in South Kivu Province. A baby is screened for malnutrition by a nurse at a UNICEF-supported health centre in South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Intensifying violence, massive displacement, and the proximity of…, Ethiopia, Ethiopia. A mother protects her son from the sun with a piece of cardboard in Hegalle in the Somali region. A mother protects her son from the sun with a piece of cardboard in Hegalle in the Somali region in Ethiopia. Overlapping hazards including conflict, severe drought, flooding, intercommunal violence and outbreaks of diseases have left more…, Haiti, Haiti. A boy sits during an interview with beneficiaries of a clean water programme run by UNICEF in Jeremie. A boy sits during an interview with beneficiaries of a clean water programme run by UNICEF in Jeremie, Haiti. Political turmoil, civil unrest, increasing armed violence, crippling poverty and natural disasters: A deadly combination of…, Myanmar, Myanmar. A woman cycles past buildings that were badly damaged during Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State. A woman cycles past buildings that were badly damaged during Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State, Myanmar, on 14 May 2023. Widespread conflict continues to have a devastating impact on children and their families in Myanmar. Grave child rights…, Somalia, Somalia. A girl plays with her brother outside their shelter at a camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Mogadishu. A girl plays with her brother outside their shelter at a camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia. A once-in-a-century drought in 2023 was followed by El Niño-induced flooding,…, South Sudan, South Sudan. A girl washes her face at taps installed with the support of UNICEF in a camp for internally displaced persons in Unity State. A girl washes her face at taps installed with the support of UNICEF in a camp for internally displaced persons in Unity State, South Sudan. South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has faced multiple…, State of Palestine, State of Palestine. Children collecting water walk past badly damaged buildings. Children collecting water walk past badly damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip. Even before the escalation of violence in October 2023, children in the State of Palestine had grown up under the shadow of recurrent violence and crushing poverty. But the hostilities in…, Sudan, Sudan. Children display vaccination cards after receiving doses of cholera vaccine during a cholera vaccination campaign in Gezira State. Children display vaccination cards after receiving doses of cholera vaccine during a cholera vaccination campaign in Gezira State, Sudan. An outbreak of conflict in Sudan in 2023 created one of the largest child…

NEW YORK, 13 December 2023 – “The COP28 climate negotiations generated welcome breakthroughs on both the urgent need to address the root causes of climate change – fossil fuels – and some glimmers of hope for climate justice for children. Now to have any hope of turning these words into action, we must see a transformative scale up of climate…

Climate change threatens the lives, health and well-being of children. They are the most vulnerable to its effects, and those who live in low-income communities are at particularly high risk of harm. To save and protect lives and prevent climate change’s worst impacts on children, we need to act now. There are clear, practical solutions that work…, Paving the way for a climate resilient education system in India, A group of students using polybags from waste and fill them with field soil to grow the saplings for school nursery  during environmental activities session at a school in Maharashtra, India India, 2023. Students use polybags from waste and fill them with field soil to grow saplings for their school nursery as part of an environmental activities…, Early detection of groundwater depletion in Madagascar, The semi-arid southern region of Madagascar has been hit hard by years of severe droughts, which has left more than 4.8 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The region has the country’s lowest water supply coverage, which is further exacerbated by climate change. The lack of rainfall and other environmental factors have also affected…, Innovations in climate risk reduction in Venezuela, A boy, 10, collects safe water at the UNICEF-installed solar-powered water treatment plant in Venezuela Venezuela, 2023. Dahir Franco, 10,collects safe water at the UNICEF-installed solar-powered water treatment plant in San Francisco de Guayo, Venezuela. Disaster risk reduction is an essential element of responding to climate change as children…, Reducing the impact of greenhouse gas emissions from sanitation in Kampala, Uganda, Two masons construct a new pit latrine with a bathroom in a village in Uganda. Uganda, 2022. Two masons construct a new municipality-approved pit latrine with a bathroom, for a commercial structure in Mukono, Uganda. Climate change and sanitation are intrinsically connected. Poorly managed sanitation emits significant greenhouse gas (GHG)…

World Children’s Day is UNICEF’s annual day of action for children, by children, marking the adoption of the  Convention on the Rights of the Child.   In 2023, World Children's Day was an opportunity to recognize children as rights holders, to acknowledge the progress that has been made for and with children, and to demand action to protect and…, Child rights under attack, In too many places today children's rights are under attack. Read Executive Director Catherine Russel's message on World Children's Day: " Children live in a world that is increasingly hostile to their rights .” Wars. Climate change. Economic turmoil. Crisis after crisis is robbing children around the world of their lives and their futures. ENOUGH…, Kids stand up and speak out, Children have a right to be listened to and included in all decisions that affect them. On World Children’s Day, children and young people raised their voices on the issues that matter to them. On #WorldChildrensDay , UNICEF is making space for children to raise their voices on the issues that matter to them. Children in #Gujarat handed over their…, #KidsTakeover, 📣 Today, the #KidsTakeOver challenge for #WorldChildrensDay brought Iarina, Ioana, Matei, Nicholas, Patrizia, Ștefania, and Tony from the Children's Board to Kiss FM, Magic FM and Rock FM! Millions of listeners tuned in to hear their insights on mental health & climate change. pic.twitter.com/zv1AFGFbRs — UNICEF Romania (@UNICEFRomania)…, Children are leaders in protecting their environment, Climate action for every child, Children have a right to a safe and livable planet. Yet climate change is affecting children everywhere – their lives, their communities and their health. UNICEF staff in #SierraLeone also went blue today in support of children's rights and climate action. Happy #WorldChildrensDay from all of us. #ClimateActionMatters #ForEveryChild , every right…, Going blue for child rights, Iconic building across #Tajikistan go blue to mark the #WorldChildrensDay ! From #Dushanbe , to #Bokhtar and #Khujand children & young people celebrate the #childrights and the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Child Rights' ratification by the country. pic.twitter.com/zjFtXOhaa7 — UNICEF Tajikistan (@UnicefTajik)…, What are child rights? A playlist for kids, Explore our YouTube Kids playlist showing how we can work together to uphold every right, for every child, and the transformative power of children and young people’s participation in creating a better world., Youth advocates in action, UNICEF Youth Advocates raised their voices, calling for the change they want to see in the world. Read about  UNICEF's youth advocates from around the world. This #WorldChildrensDay , young leaders are taking over our platforms to share the issues they care most about, how they would navigate solutions and how they envision the world 15 years from…, Children, young people and world leaders, Children and young people met with Presidents and other leaders to mark World Children’s Day.   President Petr Pavel marked a historic moment in the Czech Republic by celebrating World Children's Day at Prague Castle with the winners of the Child of the Czechia Award 2023, Kristýna and Matěj. 💙 #WorldChildrensDay #KidsTakeOver pic.twitter.com/…, Friends of UNICEF mark World Children's Day, In honour of #WorldChildrensDay , we want to celebrate children's fundamental right to play. Play helps them learn the skills they need to change & thrive in an ever-changing world 🌍 pic.twitter.com/9YfY2rRzSx — The LEGO Foundation (@LEGOfoundation) November 20, 2023   We believe EVERY child everywhere has a right to 🥘 Food 📚 Education 🏠…, Walk, run or climb, Children, advocates and leaders showed their support for children's rights by taking part in inspiring activities. "No to child marriage" and "Let's end #ChildMarriage in South Sudan" were some of the slogans shouted by children and young people during Friday's run in Juba to commemorate #WorldChildrensDay . pic.twitter.com/dexkC1vYdz — UNICEF…