Press releases
Statement by UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban upon conclusion of his visit to the Gaza Strip
GAZA/ NEW YORK, 18 January 2024 - “I have just finished a three-day visit to the Gaza Strip, where I have been able to coordinate with local and international organizations about the emergency response and take stock of humanitarian operations since the last time I was in the Gaza Strip two months ago. But more than that, I was able to meet with children and their families suffering some of the most horrific conditions I have ever seen.
Landmark moment as Scotland incorporates children's rights in law
Edinburgh – 17 January 2024 – Today is a landmark moment for children’s rights as the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (Scotland) Bill receives Royal Assent. This historic move marks a significant step towards ensuring children’s rights are respected, realised and protected for every child across Scotland.
Ecuador: Homicide rate among children and adolescents soars 640 per cent in four years - UNICEF
PANAMA CITY/NEW YORK, 12 January 2024 – At least 770 child and adolescent homicides were recorded in Ecuador in 2023, a drastic increase of 640 percent from 104 cases in 2019, according to the latest estimates by the local Ministry of Interior.
UNICEF UK Chief Executive leaving to join learning disability charity
16 January 2024 – UNICEF UK announces that Jon Sparkes OBE will be leaving in the summer to take on a new role as Chief Executive of Mencap.
As cholera cases continue to rise in parts of Southern Africa, UNICEF calls for increased focus on children in the cholera response
ROME, GENEVA, NEW YORK, 15 January 2024 – As the risk of famine grows, and more people are exposed to deadly disease outbreaks, a fundamental step change in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza is urgently needed, United Nations agencies warned today.
PREVENTING FAMINE AND DEADLY DISEASE OUTBREAKS IN GAZA REQUIRES FASTER, SAFER AID ACCESS AND MORE SUPPLY ROUTES
ROME, GENEVA, NEW YORK, 15 January 2024 – As the risk of famine grows, and more people are exposed to deadly disease outbreaks, a fundamental step change in the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza is urgently needed, United Nations agencies warned today.
Children in Gaza still at the sharp end of unrelenting war
GENEVA, 12 January 2024 – “After almost 100 days of violence, killing, bombardment and captivity for children in Gaza, all the suffering has been too much.
Gaza: The World’s Most Dangerous Place to be a Child
“The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. And day after day, that brutal reality is reinforced. “Over the past 48 hours, the largest remaining fully functioning hospital was shelled, twice. That hospital – Al Nasser in Khan Yunis – not only shelters large numbers of children who had already been badly injured in attacks on their homes, but hundreds of women and children seeking safety
Alex Brooker becomes UNICEF UK High Profile Support making commitment to children's rights
London, Tuesday 19 December: TV presenter and comedian, Alex Brooker has been made a UNICEF UK High Profile Supporter, recognising his unwavering support to the charity and commitment to protecting the rights of children around the world.
UNICEF appeals for $1.4 billion to ramp up preparedness and response to avert a humanitarian crisis
NAIROBI, 19 December 2023 - UNICEF is sounding the alarm on a looming climate-induced humanitarian crisis in Eastern and Southern Africa where the lives of 45 million children are at risk of poor health, malnutrition, displacement and learning loss.
Escalation of attacks on infrastructure leaves Ukraine’s children without sustained access to water and heating, threatening safety and survival as temperatures plummet
GENEVA/KYIV, 18 December 2023 – “Yet again, as winter continues to take hold, we are witnessing an escalation of attacks on infrastructure across Ukraine, with particularly unrelenting bombardment in the east and south of the country.
Measles cases in Europe and Central Asia skyrocket by 3000 per cent this year compared to last
GENEVA, 14 December 2023 – There have been 30,601 confirmed cases of measles in Europe and Central Asia between January and 5 December 2023, up from 909 throughout 2022, marking a 3266 per cent increase in cases of the vaccine-preventable disease, warns UNICEF.
UNICEF appeals for US$9.3 billion emergency funding for children living through conflicts and crises in an increasingly hostile world
GENEVA/NEW YORK, 12 December 2023 – In response to an alarming surge in the number of children facing unprecedented humanitarian crises worldwide, UNICEF launched today a US$9.3 billion emergency funding appeal to reach at least 93.7 million children in 155 countries.
Only half of young people able to identify correct definition of climate change – UNICEF, Gallup
NEW YORK/DUBAI, 7 December 2023 – Most children and young people say they have heard of climate change but only half understand what it is, according to a new UNICEF-Gallup poll, as world leaders gather at this year’s COP28.
More than 1 in 5 children live in poverty in 40 of the world’s richest countries
6 December 2023 – Some of the world’s richest countries experienced sharp rises in child poverty between 2014 and 2021, according to data published today by UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight.
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the resumption of fighting in Gaza
NEW YORK, 1 December 2023 – “Today, the Gaza Strip is once again the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. After seven days of respite from horrific violence, fighting has resumed. More children will surely die as a result.
Despite progress, adolescent girls continue to bear the brunt of the HIV epidemic with 98,000 new infections in 2022 - UNICEF
NEW YORK, 1 December 2023 – Nearly 98,000 adolescent girls aged 10-19 were infected with HIV in 2022 – or 1,900 new infections every week – according to UNICEF’s latest Global Snapshot on Children with HIV and AIDS, released ahead of World AIDS Day.