Press releases

27 November 2018 – The poorest urban children in 1 in 4 countries* are more likely to die before their fifth birthday than the poorest children in rural areas. And the poorest urban children in 1 in 6 countries are less likely to complete primary school than their counterparts in rural areas, according to a new UNICEF report released today.

22 November 2018 -- “The recent de-escalation in fighting in Hudaydah is providing a desperately needed respite to hundreds of thousands of civilians who remain in the city. We urge all parties to maintain it.

20th November 2018: Eric Cowell, age four, has today been spotted taking over his dad’s job for the day, as Simon Cowell and partner Lauren Silverman embrace World Children’s Day for Unicef UK – a day of action for children, by children – by allowing Eric to dress up as his famous father and make all of the decisions for the day.

16 November 2018 – “UNICEF is alarmed by recent reports of up to 30 children who have been killed in recent violence in Al Shafa village, in eastern Syria.

16 November 2018 – More than 1.3 million children under five years of age in need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition across six Africa’s Sahel countries are expected to receive care in 2018 – the highest number in at least a decade.

6 November 2018 – The Government of Ecuador yesterday signed a new protocol for the protection of uprooted children, including those arriving from Venezuela. Led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility and the Ministry of Economic and Social Inclusion, the ‘Protocol for the assistance of children, adolescents and their families in contexts of human mobility in Ecuador’ establishes protection mechanisms for migrant children – both those coming alone or with their families – who have arrived without official documentation. UNICEF, working alongside with the Government, has advocated for this Protocol and provided technical assistance.

6 November 2018 – Many children traveling with the migrant caravan in Mexico are showing signs of anguish and psychosocial distress, according to UNICEF staff on the ground. In certain cases, children are expressing fears of violence or separation from their families, while other children are finding it difficult to engage in play and recreational activities organized by UNICEF. The children’s organization, together with its partners, is quickly scaling up its support for psychosocial interventions to reach these children in need.

6 November 2018 - “Intense fighting in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah is now dangerously close to Al Thawra hospital - putting the lives of 59 children, including 25 in the intensive care unit, at imminent risk of death."

4 November 2019- Geert Cappelaere, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, provided the following statement after his recent visit to Yemen during a press conference held in Amman.

RITA ORA, SIR CHRIS HOY, AND EMMA WILLIS LEAD THE WAY AS FAMOUS FACES CHANNEL TWISTED TALES FOR UNICEF UK’S SIXTH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN BALL

30 October 2018 – Living in a rich country does not guarantee equal access to quality education, according to Report Card 15 from UNICEF Office of Research-Innocenti. Children in less wealthy countries often perform better at school despite fewer national resources, the report says.

29th October 2018 - Amy Gibbs, Director of Advocacy at Unicef UK said: "Today’s Budget was a wasted opportunity by the Government to address the key issues impacting children’s rights to survive and thrive in the UK. Unfortunately, while it showed willing to focus on children’s needs with some funding for mental health and social care support, there are still significant shortfalls."

29 October 2018 – UNICEF has opened the first fully inclusive playground for children with disabilities in Jordan in Za’atari Refugee Camp as part of national efforts to make education inclusive for all children. The playground, which is one of the first of its kind in a refugee camp, has been designed and equipped for children with and without disabilities to play together.

26 October 2018 – An estimated 2,300 children traveling with the migrant caravan now in southern Mexico need protection and access to essential services like healthcare, clean water and adequate sanitation – UNICEF warned today. The long and arduous journey has left children exposed to inclement weather, including dangerously hot temperatures, with limited access to proper shelter. Some have already fallen ill or suffered from dehydration, according to UNICEF teams on the ground.

26 October 2018 – Almost a month after a deadly earthquake and tsunami struck Palu and the surrounding areas of the northwestern part of Sulawesi, Indonesia, an estimated 375,000 children remain in need of lifesaving supplies and services.

25 October 2018 – United Nations Member States today unanimously agreed to the Declaration of Astana, vowing to strengthen their primary health care systems as an essential step toward achieving universal health coverage. The Declaration of Astana reaffirms the historic 1978 Declaration of Alma-Ata, the first time world leaders committed to primary health care.

20 October 2018 - Soccer Aid for Unicef today announced that the 2018 campaign raised a record-breaking fundraising total of £6,746,557 – with 100% of the money going to Unicef’s vital work protecting children in danger around the world.

12 October 2018- UNICEF welcomes the release of 833 children from the ranks of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Maiduguri, northeast Nigeria, as part of its commitment to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children.

12 October 2018- One month after the beginning of the school year, 80 per cent of school-aged children have returned to school in Beni and Mabalako health zones, the two epicentres of the current Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).