Press releases

25 June 2025 – Dr Philip Goodwin, Chief Executive Officer for the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), said: “This pledge from the UK Government will bring Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, closer to its ambitious goal of reaching another 500 million children worldwide with critical vaccines and vitally, saving another nine million lives by 2030.

23 June 2025 – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell today concluded a three-day mission to Chad, warning of the worsening crisis affecting children in the eastern part of the country that has seen the arrival of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Sudan.

21 June 2025 – At the end of a mission to Burkina Faso, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell called for urgent action to protect children across the Sahel whose lives are upended by insecurity, displacement and climate change.

AMMAN/GENEVA, 20 June 2025 – “In a war already defined by its brutality, Gaza now teeters at its deadliest edge. Currently just 40 per cent of drinking water production facilities remain functional in Gaza (87 out of 217). Without fuel, every one of these will stop operating within weeks.

19 June 2025 – The number of malnourished children in the Gaza Strip is rising at an alarming rate, with 5,119 children between 6 months and 5 years of age admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition in May alone.

Returning to a neonatal care unit for the first time since her own daughter was born prematurely, Oti reflected: “Seeing the work and meeting mums like Ouattara brought everything home.”

New analysis from the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) exposes the stark impact of deprivation on babies and young children’s life chances across England. It reveals that where a child is born and raised up to the age of five can influence their future potential.

The Government must immediately remove the two-child limit and end the benefit cap to lift thousands of children out of poverty. Our research has shown children and families across the country are really struggling with parents borrowing money, skipping meals, children going without the essentials they need and starting school already behind their peers. Many are growing up in stressed and stretched households. Those most in need of support and protection continue to bear the brunt of difficult economic decisions.

TV, radio and podcast host Sam Thompson has teamed up with Olympic gold medallist and Soccer Aid for UNICEF stalwart Sir Mo Farah ahead of his ‘Match Ball Mission’ for Soccer Aid for UNICEF.

LONDON/FLORENCE, 14 May 2025 – Children in many of the world’s wealthiest countries saw marked declines in their academic performance, mental wellbeing, and physical health in the period since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to analysis published today by UNICEF Innocenti – Global Office of Research and Foresight.   UK joint second to last for teenage life satisfaction

06 May 2025 – Today, the leading child rights organisation, UNICEF, was announced as a Team and Charity Partner of the Clipper Race once again. The announcement came ahead of the 2025-26 race season, and marks a decade of commitment from the global yacht race to advancing child rights globally.

PORT-AU-PRINCE/ NEW YORK, 17 APRIL 2025 – Over one million children are facing critical levels of food insecurity in Haiti, UNICEF estimates. Persistent armed violence, repeated displacement, and lack of sufficient humanitarian access continue to threaten vulnerable families – while the risk of famine looms.

12 April 2025 – “Dozens of civilians, including at least 23 children, and several aid workers have reportedly been killed in North Darfur over the past few days.

13 February 2025 - Statement by UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, highlights how children in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo are increasingly exposed to sexual violence, abduction and recruitment.

15 January 2024 - Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the announcement of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip

AMMAN, 26 December 2024 – “In the final days of the year, there seems to be no end in sight to the deadly threats to children in Gaza. Over the past three days, at least eleven children have reportedly been killed in attacks. Now, we are also witnessing children dying from the cold and a lack of adequate shelter.

PORT VILA, Vanuatu, 18 December 2024 – An estimated 40,000 children are in need of humanitarian assistance after a devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake hit Vanuatu on December 17, followed by several major aftershocks.

DAMASCUS, 17 December 2024 - “Today, I concluded my visit to Damascus, Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Idlib where I witnessed the dire situation for Syria’s children. After 14 years of war, millions of children have known nothing but conflict, forcing them to grow up far too quickly. Yet there is hope and an opportunity for a better future.