http://www.unicef.org/ News from UNICEF, Press releases, News notes, Media advisories, Statements en-us Copyright 2007, UNICEF Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:13:24 GMT Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:20 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rss/ http://www.unicef.org/images/unicef_aqua.gif http://www.unicef.org/ http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/tanzania_51662.rhtml DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, 6 November 2009– On Wednesday, Tanzania's Parliament, the Bunge, passed a bill known as the Law of the Child Act 2009. This landmark legislation effectively domesticates the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and provides the legal framework through which the rights of the country's children can be protected and realized. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:20 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/zimbabwe_51659.rhtml HARARE, Zimbabwe, 6 November 2009 – The 17th session of the Children's Parliament, a programme of the Zimbabwe Youth Council,opened recently with the aim of spurring the government into action to ensure child survival and empowerment. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:04:54 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/zambia_51653.rhtml LUSAKA, Zambia, 5 November 2009 – The rainy season has returned in Zambia, bringing with it the threat of cholera, a preventable waterborne disease that sickens thousands here every year. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:23 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/china_51652.rhtml BEIJING, China, 5 November 2009 – UNICEF and Xinhua News Agency, the official press agency of the People's Republic of China, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining joint plans to promote better understanding of the situation of children worldwide. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:20 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/pakistan_51651.rhtml MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, 5 November 2009 – The earthquake that devastated this region in 2005 was a catastrophe for schoolchildren in Pakistan. An estimated 17,000 students were killed in their classrooms, and 6,000 schools damaged or destroyed. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:20 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/policyanalysis/index_51636.rhtml NEW YORK, USA., 4 November 2009 – As part of the run-up to 20 November, the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman yesterday introduced a photo exhibit and opened a documentary film festival with a special screening at UNICEF headquarters in New York. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:22 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/russia_51631.rhtml MOSCOW, Russian Federation, 4 November 2009 – UNICEF Russia has launched a series of public service announcements dedicated to protecting child rights. The campaign underlines the importance of considering the interests of the child in all important decisions, whether at the family or state level. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:23 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/indonesia_51629.rhtml PADANG, Indonesia, 4 November 2009 – The stacks of formula milk in a former ballroom in the city of Padang, West Sumatra, had to be quickly removed. Though generosity motivated local companies to donate these supplies in response to the 30 September earthquake here, such donations could have proved fatal. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:22 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/girlseducation/index_51619.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 3 November 2009 – Too often around the world, in countries affected by conflict, violence and poverty, education is denied at the most basic level. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:13:23 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/samoa_51603.rhtml APIA, Samoa, 2 November 2009 – UNICEF and the World Health Organization are giving full support to a nationwide measles and vitamin A immunization campaign by the Samoan Government. The campaign aims to protect more than 32,000 children in the wake of the recent tsunami here. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:30:21 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/health/index_51598.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 2 November 2009 – More children die every day of pneumonia than of any other disease. Today, UNICEF and the World Health Organization released a comprehensive plan to save millions of lives from this often fatal illness. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:30:21 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/liberia_51590.rhtml MONROVIA, Liberia, 30 October 2009 – "The last time I got malaria, I had to leave school because I couldn't walk properly. I couldn't eat," says Veldis Malkor, age 13. "I missed school for about a week." Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:30:20 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/ethiopia_51587.rhtml ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 30 October 2009 – Ethiopian schoolchildren recently celebrated Global Handwashing Day, with roughly 24,000 participating schools in Ethiopia. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:30:23 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/pakistan_51582.rhtml GADAP TOWN, Pakistan, 29 October 2009 – As part of a national immunization campaign, Ruksana Bilqis has been working for the past two months as a polio community mobilizer in Gadap Town, a community of conservative Pashtu speakers from North-West Frontier Province and the tribal areas near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:30:23 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/people/people_51581.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 29 October 2009 – Legendary thespian, tireless advocate for human rights and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Vanessa Redgrave gave a special benefit performance of 'The Year of Magical Thinking' this week in New York. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:30:23 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/namibia_51570.rhtml WINDHOEK, Namibia, 28 October 2009—A novel idea for children has become a reality, now that the Namibian Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration has set up an office in the maternity ward at Katutura State Hospital, the main public hospital in Windhoek. This UNICEF-supported effort is designed to ensure that every child born at the hospital receives a birth certificate. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:37 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/myanmar_51564.rhtml YANGON, Myanmar 27 October 2009 – For centuries, Myanmar's hugely popular traditional folk performance or 'Zat' groups have travelled the country, entertaining audiences with comedy, song and dance. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:37 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/sierraleone_51559.rhtml KOINADUGU, Sierra Leone, 27 October 2009 – Lack of access to affordable health care is one of the major contributing factors to pregnancy and childbirth-related deaths in Sierra Leone. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:36 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/pakistan_51552.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 26 October 2009 – Women and children in north-western Pakistan are once again on the move because of conflict in the region. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:38 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/malaysia_51549.rhtml KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 26 October 2009 – As Head Prefect, Dashenee Huthamaputhiran, 17, is a friendly face around Convent Sentul High School, offering advice to students who break school rules or lending a helping hand to those in trouble. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:35 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/afghanistan_51512.rhtml KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, 23 October 2009 – Maternal mortality rates in Afghanistan are among the highest in the world. In the southern region, 1,600 women out of every 100,000 die in childbirth. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:34 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/mali_51529.rhtml GAO VILLAGE, Mali, 23 October 2009 – In the village of Gao, some 1200 km away from Mali's capital city of Bamako, local children were given the special chance to speak to UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Belgian astronaut Frank De Winne – live from space. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:36 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/lebanon_51532.rhtml BEIRUT, Lebanon, 23 October 2009 – UNICEF's Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) announced today the appointment of Lebanese star Nancy Ajram as the newest Regional Goodwill Ambassador. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:37 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/ukraine_51518.rhtml ODESSA, Ukraine 15 October 2009 – It's a busy morning in Public Polyclinic Number Five in Ukraine's southern city where many parents have brought their children for vaccination. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:36 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/indonesia_51513.rhtml JAKARTA, Indonesia, 22 October 2009 - When millions of Jakartans packed trains, planes, automobiles and buses to trek back to their hometowns to celebrate the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, there was an uninvited guest travelling with them - the H1N1 virus. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:38 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/immunization/index_51482.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 21 October 2009 – More babies are being immunized against deadly diseases than ever before, yet without better funding and improved access, at least 24 million infants are left unprotected. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:35 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/somalia_51483.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 21 October 2009 – UNICEF officials worry that funding shortfalls may threaten the humanitarian assistance activities that are urgently needed for roughly 3.6 million people in Somalia, including for 1.4 million affected by severe drought and about 1.5 million displaced primarily by conflict. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:34 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/zimbabwe_51480.rhtml HARARE, Zimbabwe, 21 October, 2009 – Approximately one million Zimbabweans lathered up their hands with soap and water last week as they joined in on the worldwide commemorations of Global Handwashing Day. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:35 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/syria_51476.rhtml DAMASCUS, Syria, 20 October 2009 – After two year's work, the Syrian Commission for Family Affairs (SCFA) in collaboration with UNICEF has concluded a report on the Situation Analysis of Children (SITAN) in Syria. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:37 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/papuang_51475.rhtml WESTERN HIGHLANDS PROVINCE, Papua New Guinea, 20 October 2009 – In celebration of Global Handwashing Day, students in four provinces across Papua New Guinea took to the stage to raise their voices and educate their peers. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:36 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/car_51469.rhtml BANGUI, Central African Republic, 20 October 2009 – UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde Johnson has called on the international community to support children in the Central African Republic (CAR) who are bearing the brunt of the country's declining fortunes. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:35 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/oPt_51460.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 19 October 2009 – In her first official visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow joined fellow Goodwill Ambassador Mahmoud Kabil to witness the impact of conflict on children. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:36 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/philippines_51459.rhtml PASIG CITY, Philippines, 19 October 2009 – The flood waters that still inundate much of the Philippines' capital have become black with waste and garbage, a daily reminder of tropical storm Ondoy, which struck the country on 26 September. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:35 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/bangladesh_51457.rhtml COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh, 19 October 2009 – Five-year-old Jasmeen suffers from rickets – a preventable disorder caused by a form of malnutrition as a result of calcium deficiency which manifests as a softening of the bones. Her legs are severely deformed and bow the weight of her little body. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:39 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/afghanistan_51447.rhtml KABUL, Afghanistan, 16 October 2009 – The second Global Handwashing Day was celebrated yesterday in Kabul and 34 provinces of Afghanistan, shining a spotlight on the importance of handwashing with soap and water as one of the most effective and affordable interventions to save lives. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:32:39 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/wash/index_51446.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 16 October 2009 – The 'Golden Poo Awards' were held yesterday in London as part of Global Handwashing Day celebrations. The award honoured the work of two women: Head of the Environmental Sanitation and Hygiene section of the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mary Swai, and WASH Specialist from UNICEF Tanzania's Young Child Survival and Development Section, Rebecca Budimu. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:44 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/policyanalysis/index_51453.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 16 October 2009 – Six young people stood before an overflowing room of people at UNICEF House to present their views on child participation. Getting adults to listen is their biggest challenge, they said, but these well-spoken activists both inspired and educated their audience – and left everyone thinking about new ways to involve children in matters that affect them. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:41 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/kenya_51444.rhtml ISIOLO, Kenya, 16 October 2009 – Underneath the blazing sun, pastoralists Ekwam Joseph, 20, and his younger brother, Ekai Francis, 11, herd their cattle through a land that is covered with anything but green pasture. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:42 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/ethiopia_51435.rhtml ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 15 October 2009 – Millions of African children live in a state of almost permanent crisis brought on by conflict, instability, disease and the impact of the global economic downturn. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:13:23 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/cameroon_51433.rhtml DOUALA, Cameroon, 15 October 2009 – The Ministry of Basic Education and soap producer Complexe Chimique Camerounais (CCC) have partnered with UNICEF to provide hygiene supplies to 300 schools across the country. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:42 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/liberia_51417.rhtml MONROVIA, Liberia, 14 October 2009 – UNICEF and its partners have introduced a far-reaching new initiative to reduce the number of Liberian families falling ill and dying from unsafe water. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:45 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/japan_51424.rhtml TOKYO, Japan, 15 October 2009 – Today, millions of children and adults in over 80 countries are marking the second annual Global Handwashing Day with special events and activities. As part of this effort, the Japan Committee for UNICEF and its partners have launched a project to promote handwashing among children in Japan and around the world. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:43 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/jordan_51416.rhtml AMMAN, Jordan, 14 October 2009 – Her Majesty Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, UNICEF's Eminent Advocate for Children, met today with internationally acclaimed actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:44 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/health/index_51412.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 14 October 2009 – A new report released by UNICEF and the World Health Organization today lays out a seven-point plan to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea worldwide. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:43 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/southafrica_51408.rhtml JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 13 October 2009 – Famed Sri Lankan cricketers Kumar Sangakkara, Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera and Lasith Malinga recently visited young people living with HIV at the WITSECHO Adolescent Sprint Holiday Programme near Johannesburg, South Africa. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:11:20 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/mozambique_51405.rhtml MAPUTO, Mozambique, 13 October 2009– The results of a national survey on the situation of women and children, known as Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), were made public earlier this month by Mozambique's National Statistics Institute. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:43 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/samoa_51393.rhtml APIA, Samoa, 12 October 2009 – UNICEF is working closely with the Samoan Government's Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture to ensure that tsunami-affected children are able to resume their education as soon as possible. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:45 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/malaysia_51387.rhtml KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 12 October 2009 – To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Malaysia's postal service, Pos Malaysia, has introduced a new set of stamps that aims to spread the word about children's rights. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:42 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/wash/index_51375.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 9 October 2009 – Next Thursday, 15 October, marks the second annual Global Handwashing Day, which millions of children and adults will celebrate with special activities in over 80 countries. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:42 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/indonesia_51378.rhtml TANJUNGSARI, Indonesia, 9 October, 2009 – Children and families in Tanjungsari, a hamlet located in the Agam District of Indonesia's West Sumatra province, recently endured three successive – and massive – natural disasters. Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:34:44 GMT