Press releases

NEW YORK/PORT SUDAN, 27 August 2025 – After 500 days under siege, the city of Al Fasher in Sudan’s North Darfur has become an epicentre of child suffering, with malnutrition, disease, and violence claiming young lives daily, UNICEF warned today.

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 26 August 2025 – Despite progress over the last decade, billions of people around the world still lack access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services, putting them at risk of disease and deeper social exclusion.

ROME/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 22 August 2025 – More than half a million people in Gaza are trapped in famine, marked by widespread starvation, destitution and preventable deaths, according to a new Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released today. Famine conditions are projected to spread from Gaza Governorate to Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis Governorates in the coming weeks.

DAMASCUS, 13 August 2025 – The impact of recent violence in Syria’s As-Sweida Governorate in July and early August continues to affect children and families. The violence, which reportedly left at least 22 children killed and 21 more injured, also caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure and further complicated the humanitarian response efforts.

KABUL/NEW YORK, 9 August 2025 – “I have just concluded my visit to Afghanistan, where over two million Afghans, including half a million children, have returned from Iran and Pakistan so far this year alone, in addition to a significant number from countries in Central Asia.

Dr Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer of UNICEF UK, said: “The decision by the UK Government to evacuate and treat hundreds of injured and critically ill children from Gaza could save lives if it is implemented immediately.

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 4 August 2025 - Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure a baby’s health, development, and survival in the earliest stages of life. It acts as their first vaccine, providing protection against diseases including diarrhoea and pneumonia.

GENEVA/PORT SUDAN, Sudan, 5 August 2025 – “Over the past week, I travelled from Port Sudan to Aj Jazeera and Khartoum States, witnessing the impact that this crisis – the world’s largest humanitarian crisis – is having on children and families.

PORT SUDAN, 3 August 2025 – More than 1,180 cholera cases - including an estimated 300 cases in children - and at least 20 deaths have been reported in Tawila, North Darfur State, since the first case was detected on 21 June 2025. This represents a rapid surge in cases in the town which has absorbed over 500,000 internally displaced people fleeing violent conflict since April this year.

NEW YORK, 1 August 2025 - "I just returned from a five-day mission to Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and I speak to you with deep urgency and profound concern today.

ADDIS ABABA — An estimated 8.2 percent of the global population, or about 673 million people, experienced hunger in 2024, down from 8.5 percent in 2023 and 8.7 percent in 2022. However, progress was not consistent across the globe, as hunger continued to rise in most subregions of Africa and western Asia, according to this year’s The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI 2025) report published today by five specialized agencies of the United Nations.

NEW YORK/AMMAN/PORT SUDAN,15 July 2025 – “More than 450 civilians, including at least 24 boys, 11 girls, and two pregnant women, were reportedly killed in horrific attacks in communities around the city of Bara, including the villages of Shag Alnom and Hilat Hamid, in Sudan’s North Kordofan State over the weekend. With dozens more injured and many still missing, we fear that the number of child casualties could rise further. 

Joanna Rea, Director of Advocacy at The UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) said:  “The devastating news from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital last weekend underscores a growing crisis. Childhood vaccination rates in the UK are falling, and entirely preventable yet deadly diseases like measles are on the rise. Vaccines save lives, but we are now falling short of the World Health Organization’s 95% coverage target which would keep children safe.”

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 15 July 2025 – In 2024, 89% of infants globally – about 115 million – received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine, and 85% -- roughly 109 million – completed all three doses, according to new national immunization coverage data released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.

NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME/GAZA, 12 July 2025 – The United Nations warns that the fuel shortage in Gaza has reached critical levels. Fuel is the backbone of survival in Gaza. It powers hospitals, water systems, sanitation networks, ambulances, and every aspect of humanitarian operations. Fuel supplies are needed to move the fleet used for transporting essential goods across the Strip and to operate a network of bakeries producing fresh bread for the affected population. Without fuel, these lifelines will vanish for 2.1 million people. 

PORT SUDAN, 11 July 2025 - Alarming new data from UNICEF reveals a 46 per cent surge in the number of children being treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) across Sudan’s five Darfur states between January and May 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. In North Darfur alone, more than 40,000 children were admitted for treatment for SAM in the first five months of the year - double the number for the same period last year.

“We are appalled by the reported killing of 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, who were waiting in line for nutritional supplies for children in Deir al Balah, the Gaza Strip, this morning. An additional 30 people were reportedly injured, including 19 children.

New UK Government data released today shows 1.6 million children are locked out of financial support due to the number of siblings they have, and the vast majority (1.1 million children) are living in families with a child or baby under 5 years old. 

“This strategy is a very welcome and essential step toward closing the inequalities gap in early childhood and will give children the best start in life that they all deserve, particularly in its recognition that poverty and inequality must be addressed in the early years. The commitment to invest in and bring together local services through Best Start Family Hubs is vital and will go a long way to meeting the needs of families with babies and young children.