http://www.unicef.org/ News from UNICEF, Press releases, News notes, Media advisories, Statements en-us Copyright 2007, UNICEF Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:48:10 GMT Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:55:42 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/india_51844.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 20 November 2009 – A young girl in India longs to be in school. She watches through the window and the gracious teacher calls her in. But when she sits down, the boys shift over to one side to be away from her. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:55:42 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/sowc/index_51829.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 19 November 2009 – UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Lucy Liu and former child soldier Grace Akallo joined Executive Director Ann M. Veneman today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). To mark the occasion, UNICEF has released a special edition of its flagship publication, 'The State of the World's Children', outlining progress made on children's rights over the past two decades. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:52:09 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/spain_51823.rhtml MADRID, SPAIN, 19 November 2009 – For the past six months, Spanish photographer Isabel Muñoz has been traveling around the world, taking photos of children. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:12:46 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/liberia_51786.rhtml MONROVIA, Liberia, 17 November 2009 – UNICEF and Liberia's Ministry of National Defense have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen their cooperation in ensuring that children's rights are fully respected in interactions between the military and the population – especially those involving children living in military barracks. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:14:19 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/sierraleone_51800.rhtml KABALA, Sierra Leone, 18 November 2009 – Until a few months ago, Fatmata Shaw, 13,had never used a camera or a computer. But after training with a professional photographer, she wants to use her newfound skills to help her peers in the community. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:14:20 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/about/partnerships/index_51802.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 18 November 2009 – As the international community prepares to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on 20 November, UNICEF today took part in the global launch of the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:12:47 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/lesotho_51799.rhtml LEBAKENG, Lesotho, 18 November 2009 – Mapalesa Sebatanyane, 73, is the primary caregiver for her four grandchildren, but she struggles to feed them with the small income she earns raising chickens in this remote village. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:57:46 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/japan_51793.rhtml KABUL, Afghanistan, 17 November 2009 – His Excellency Shigeyuki Hiroki, Ambassador of Japan, and UNICEF Representative for Afghanistan Catherine Mbengue have signed an agreement to maintain and extend immunization programmes for children in Afghanistan. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:17:11 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/cameroon_51788.rhtml PERMA VILLAGE, Cameroon, 17 November 2009 – Hawa Mahmadou, 12, was devastated when she was forced to drop out of school two years ago because her parents couldn't afford the fees. She spent her days doing household chores. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:17:10 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/india_51776.rhtml NARENDRAPUR, India, 17 November 2009 – Thirteen-year-old Mahesh Yadav's fingers glide gracefully across the page in front of him. He reads aloud from the text – a Braille version of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:14:19 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/ghana_51766.rhtml ACCRA, Ghana, 16 November 2009 – To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), UNICEF organized a roundtable discussion between children and parliamentarians, entitled 'People to People – Children to Adults', in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:14:19 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/southafrica_51778.rhtml KWAZULU-NATAL PROVINCE, South Africa, 16 November 2009 – He is only nine years old, but Mandla (not his real name) is already a mentor. Every day after school, he meets with younger, more vulnerable children in his rural village and teaches them through traditional songs, stories and games. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:14:19 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/malaysia_51765.rhtml LONG LUTENG, Malaysia, 16 November 2009– Meriam Anyie was born deep in the rainforest of Malaysian Borneo. As members of the Penan ethnic group, a nomadic indigenous people in the state of Sarawak, she and her family spent most of their life in the jungle, never living in a permanent home throughout her childhood. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:17:11 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/cameroon_51756.rhtml TCHONTCHI, Cameroon, 13 November 2009 – Almost 5 kilos underweight and too undernourished to walk, two-year-old twins Massing Esther and Tito Anna have to be carried everywhere they go in their home village of Tchontchi, in northern Cameroon. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:14:28 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/philippines_51739.rhtml A new UNICEF report, 'Tracking Progress on Child and Maternal Nutrition', says undernutrition is a factor in a third of all deaths of children under five. Here is one in a series of related stories. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:14:52 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/nutrition/index_51688.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 11 November, 2009 – As the number of hungry and malnourished people passes 1 billion, a new UNICEF report identifiesundernutrition as one of the major causes of death among young children. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:40 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/togo_51742.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 12 November 2009 – The International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) Awards ceremony, held here earlier this week, brought accomplished broadcasters to New York from around the world to be feted and to share ideas and experiences. Among them were two representatives from Togo, home of the 2009 ICDB Regional Award for Television. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:39 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/videoaudio/video_51701.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 11 November 2009 – UNICEF welcomed representatives of all 12 broadcasters nominated for the 2009 International Children's Day of Broadcasting (ICDB) Awards to New York this week to celebrate their work, partake in a seminar on children's broadcasting and youth media, and attend the 2009 ICDB Awards ceremony. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:17:10 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/infobycountry/niger_51679.rhtml AGADEZ, Niger, 9 November 2009 – It's 6 a.m. at the Agadez bus station, and the members of the town's Child Protection Committee are keeping a close watch on the waiting passengers for the bus heading towards the northern town of Dirkou. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:14:53 GMT http://www.unicef.org/rsstracker/news/people/people_51673.rhtml NEW YORK, USA, 9 November 2009 – UNICEF's Goodwill Ambassadors have joined in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by appearing in public service announcements meant to draw attention to the groundbreaking international human rights covenant. The CRC turns 20 on 20 November. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:14:19 GMT 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:40 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:39 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:39 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:39 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:40 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:39 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:40 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:16:50 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:02 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:01 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:01 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." Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:02 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:01 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:02 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:02 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:02 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:19:10 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:23 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:24 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:25 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:24 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:25 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:24 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:24 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:23 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:23 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:25 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:21:36 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:23:42 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. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:23:42 GMT