Press release
‘Not the new normal’ – 2024 'one of the worst years in UNICEF’s history' for children in conflict
NEW YORK, 28 December 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 data and prevailing global trends. More children than ever are estimated to be either living in conflict zones or fo...
Statement
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the impact of the situation in Syria on children
NEW YORK, 8 December 2024 – , “With the situation in Syria rapidly evolving, UNICEF reiterates the UN Secretary-General’s appeal for calm, to refrain from violence, and to protect the rights of all Syrians – especially children, at least 80 of whom have been killed in the past two weeks. “UNICEF remains steadfast ...
Video
UNICEF helps children affected by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique
Embedded video follows UNICEF helps children affected by disasters around the world. Working with China International Development Cooperation Agency, we delivered crucial aid to children and families affected by Cyclone Idai in Mozambique. Watch the difference this has made, 5 years on.
Statement
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on military operations and border closures in Rafah, Gaza
NEW YORK, 9 May 2024 –, “The humanitarian response of UNICEF and our partners — and thus the lives of all the children and their families in the Gaza Strip who depend on it — requires fuel. We need fuel to move lifesaving supplies – medicine, treatments for malnutrition, tents and water pipes – as well as staff t...
Statement
Number of children killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, reaches unprecedented levels
AMMAN, 28 December 2023 –, “This year has been the deadliest year on record for children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with conflict-related violence reaching unprecedented levels. “83 children have been killed in the past twelve weeks – more than double the number of children killed in all of 2022, amid increased military and law enforcement operations. More…
Statement
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. “Before the pause, more than 5,300 Palestinian children were reportedly killed...
Remarks
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell’s remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on the protection of children in Gaza
NEW YORK, November 22, 2023 – , “Excellencies, “Thank you to Ambassador Nusseibeh, Ambassador Zhang Jun, and Ambassador Frazier for bringing us together to speak about the worsening situation for children in the State of Palestine and Israel. “I would also like to thank this Council for its adoption of Resolution ...
Press release
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on her visit to Gaza
GAZA, 15 November 2023, – “Today I visited the Gaza Strip to meet with children, their families and UNICEF staff. What I saw and heard was devastating. They have endured repeated bombardment, loss and displacement. Inside the Strip, there is nowhere safe for Gaza’s one million children to turn. “The parties to th...
Press release
Child casualties in Gaza “a growing stain on our collective conscience”
NEW YORK/AMMAN, 24 October 2023, – Over the past 18 days, the Gaza Strip has borne witness to a devastating toll on its children, with a reported 2,360 fatalities and a reported 5,364 injuries due to unrelenting attacks, or more than 400 children reportedly either killed or injured daily. Additionally, more than ...
Statement
Joint statement by UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO on humanitarian supplies crossing into Gaza
NEW YORK/GENEVA/ROME, 21 October 2023, –, , “A first, but limited, shipment of life-saving humanitarian supplies from the United Nations and the Egyptian Red Crescent entered Gaza today on 20 trucks, passing through the Rafah Crossing. “It will provide an urgently needed lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, who have been cut off from water,…
Press release
One week on from devastating earthquakes, millions of children remain in need of urgent humanitarian assistance
NEW YORK/AMMAN/GENEVA, 13 February 2023 – , Seven days after two devastating earthquakes and more than 1,600 aftershocks hit south-east Türkiye and Syria – causing widespread destruction and taking the lives of thousands of people – UNICEF is warning that millions of children are in need of urgent humanitarian sup...
Article
Water and the global climate crisis: 10 things you should know
Climate change is disrupting weather patterns, leading to extreme weather events, unpredictable water availability, exacerbating water scarcity and contaminating water supplies. Such impacts can drastically affect the quantity and quality of water that children need to survive. Today, a change in climate is felt p...