Press Releases
‘Not the new normal’ – 2024 ‘one of the worst years in UNICEF’s history’ for children in conflict
NEW YORK (December 27, 2024) – The impact of armed conflicts on children around the world reached devastating and likely record levels in 2024, according to a review by UNICEF of the latest available...
Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Edouard Beigbeder on continued deaths of children in Gaza
NEW YORK (December 26, 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...
Food and nutrition crisis deepens across Sudan as famine identified in additional areas
NEW YORK (December 24, 2024) – Four months after famine was first confirmed in Zamzam camp in Sudan’s North Darfur state, more areas in North Darfur and the Western Nuba mountains have been identified...
"Cold, sick and traumatized" - the ongoing nightmare for children in Gaza
NEW YORK (December 20, 2024) – “Children in Gaza are cold, sick and traumatized. Hunger and malnutrition, and the dire living conditions more broadly, continue to put the lives of children at risk...
An estimated 40,000 children impacted in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in Vanuatu
NEW YORK (December 18, 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...
Peace must prevail for Syria’s children
NEW YORK (December 17, 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...
At least 90,000 children impacted as Cyclone Chido hits hard in Mozambique
NEW YORK (December 17, 2024) – Heavy winds and rainfall from Cyclone Chido have damaged or destroyed over 35,000 homes and affected more than 90,000 children across Cabo Delgado province, in northern...
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on children and the continued bloodshed in the Gaza Strip
NEW YORK (December 13, 2024) – “Yesterday, in yet another devastating attack on Nuseirat camp, in central Gaza, 33 people were reportedly killed – including at least eight children – and 50 wounded by...
Child found floating alone in the sea, wearing a life jacket made of tire tubes, after 44 other passengers on her boat believed to have drowned
NEW YORK (December 12, 2024) – "An 11-year-old girl was rescued yesterday from a shipwreck off the coast of Italy’s Lampedusa. All 44 other people on board, including women and children, are believed...
Birth registration steadily increases worldwide, but 150 million children still ‘invisible’ - UNICEF
NEW YORK (December 11, 2024) – Over 500 million – or close to 8 in 10 - children under five have had their births registered in the last five years, reflecting notable strides in securing legal...