Press releases
Conflict, climate crisis and coronavirus pose great threats to the health of women and children
Fragile gains made to advance women and children’s health are threatened by conflict, the climate crisis and COVID-19, according to a new report from Every Woman Every Child.
Statement from Unicef UK Board
UNICEF UK STATEMENT ON 24th SEPTEMBER 2020 The Board of Trustees of Unicef UK regrets to announce that Douglas Alexander has decided to resign as Chair with immediate effect. The…
As classrooms for half the world’s schoolchildren remain closed, UNICEF and EU urge countries to prioritise schools in re-opening plans
23 September 2020 – “As schools remain closed for half the world’s students due to the Coronavirus pandemic, we are issuing an S.O.S. message urging countries to prioritise schools in their re-opening plans.
Coronavirus pandemic: Countries urged to take stronger action to stop spread of harmful information
23 September 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) together with the UN, specialised agencies and partners today called on countries to develop and implement action plans to promote the timely dissemination of science-based information and prevent the spread of false information while respecting freedom of expression.
Resignation of Unicef UK Executive Director Sacha Deshmukh
Statement by Unicef UK on 23rd September 2020
UNICEF calls for schools to open in Eastern & Southern Africa
Tuesday, 22 September 2020 - UNICEF has called on governments, parents and teachers across Eastern and Southern Africa to urgently and safely re-open schools, as the costs of continued school closures escalate across Eastern and Southern Africa.
WHO and UNICEF recommit to accelerating health and well-being at all ages
19 September 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have signed a new collaborative framework which will accelerate joint public health efforts that put the most marginalized and vulnerable populations first.
UNICEF statement on children affected by the Moria camp fire on Lesvos Island, Greece
11th September 2020 - UNICEF statement on children affeected by fire in Moria camp, Lesvos Island, Greece
Polio programme accelerates efforts to respond to new polio outbreaks in Sudan and Yemen
11 September 2020 - “The recent vaccine-derived polio outbreaks confirmed in Yemen and Sudan are consequences of increasingly low levels of immunity among children. Each outbreak has paralysed children in areas that have been extremely difficult if not impossible to reach with routine or supplementary polio vaccination for extended periods of time."
Return to learning a priority for children to catch-up on education in person or remotely in the Middle East and North Africa
9 September 2020 - As schools start to reopen, UNICEF works with partners on the safe return to learning and launches “Ready to Come Back: A Teacher Preparedness Training Package”.
Unprecedented levels of malnutrition among children in Burkina Faso
Over 535,500 children under the age of five suffer from global acute malnutrition, 156,500 of whom are severely malnourished as findings of a new survey[1] show that the nutritional situation of children in Burkina Faso is worsening.
UNICEF to lead procurement and supply of Coronavirus vaccines
UNICEF is leading efforts to procure and supply COVID-19 vaccines in what could possibly be the world’s largest and fastest ever procurement and supply of vaccines, as part of the global vaccine plan of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX Facility) led by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Unicef UK appoints Olivia Colman as its new President
3 September 2020 - Unicef UK is delighted to announce that Olivia Colman CBE has been appointed as its new President.
UNICEF warns of “looming children’s crisis” and urgent need for UK to take action to improve lives of children
2 September 2020 - “Worlds of Influence: Understanding what shapes child well-being in rich countries”, based on pre-pandemic data analysis, gives the UK an overall ranking of 27 among 41 EU and OECD countries on children’s health, academic and social skillsets.
COVID-19 Isolation and Treatment Centre opens for Bangladeshi communities and Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar
31 August 2020 –UNICEF and icddr,b are supporting a 200-bed isolation and treatment centre in Cox’s Bazar District to provide critical care for COVID-19 patients from both Bangladeshi and Rohingya refugee communities.
Coronavirus: At least a third of the world’s schoolchildren unable to access remote learning during school closures, new UNICEF report says
27 August 2020 – At least a third of the world’s schoolchildren – 463 million children globally – were unable to access remote learning when Coronavirus shuttered their schools, according to a new UNICEF report released today as countries across the world grapple with their ‘back-to-school’ plans.
Rohingya children bearing brunt of Coronavirus disruptions in Bangladesh refugee camps as education facilities remain closed - UNICEF
25 August 2020 – Three years since hundreds of thousands fled violence and persecution in Myanmar, Rohingya refugee children and families in Cox’ Bazar District of Bangladesh are now facing new challenges.
Coronavirus causes disruptions to child protection services in more than 100 countries, UNICEF survey finds
18 August 2020 – Violence prevention and response services have been severely disrupted during the coronavirus pandemic, leaving children at increased risk of violence, exploitation and abuse, according to a global survey by UNICEF.
UNICEF LAUNCHES FIRST EVER DOMESTIC EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAMME TO PROVIDE FOOD SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE CHILDREN ACROSS THE UK
17 August 2020 – Unicef UK has today launched its first ever domestic emergency response programme to support children in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic.