MENA

Following the establishment of two pilot Adolescent Wellbeing and Empowerment Centers in Mashhad and Kermanshah in 2022, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Drug Control Headquarters (DCHQ), organised a training workshop for the technical staff and experts from the centres, DCHQ and other relevant provincial agencies, from 13 to 17 February. The…

This photo series depicts the experiences of Afghan refugees who have sought asylum in Iran over the past decades. Many of these individuals lack legal documentation to reside in Iran, which often presents challenges in accessing vital services such as education and healthcare. However, in recent years, notable initiatives have emerged to ensure…

TRAILBLAZING SOLUTIONS , Solutions that demonstrated originality and impact and were able to top the list of solutions in the rigorous review process were recognized in the closing pitch event of the 2nd UNICEF Innovation Challenge.  CYCLOPS   Amblyopia or Lazy Eye is a type of poor vision prevalent among children which have a protracted and an uninteresting treatment…, SOLUTIONS WORTHY OF MENTION , During the first years of life, a child’s brain creates more than one million new neural connections every second1. In these critical years optimal brain development has a lifelong impact. Children’s early experiences deeply affect their future physical, cognitive, social development and shape the future success. Supporting the early childhood…, LEARNING AND PLAY , Robocode Learning computational thinking and digital literacy for children is critical for developing their cognitive abilities and practical skills in today’s digital space yet there are limited resources in Persian for children in Iran. Furthermore, game-based learning yield more effective learning results for children.  robocode, Drop-based Education and Learning Ecosystem , Drop-based Education is a new approach to learning with microlearning modules of under 10 minutes for 15 to 18 -year- old high school students. This is a critical period since most students prepare for the university entrance examination or “Konkour” and the cost of education is extremely high for middle and low-income families. Currently, the…

The Children’s Rights and Business Principles set out business actions to respect and support children’s rights. Children’s rights are outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the International Labour Organization’s Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age and Convention No. 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour. Article 3 of the…

UNICEF Iran, in cooperation with the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) and international and national NGOs, procured and distributed 11,460 hygiene kits among Afghan refugee households across Iran during September and October 2022.  The kits, which were procured partially with financial support from the EU, include primary…

Protecting children, including their mental health, in natural disasters is of key importance and a top priority. UNICEF Iran, in collaboration with the Youth Organization of the Iranian Red Crescent Society(IRCS), has supported multiple capacity-building programmes to enhance the efficacy of the psychosocial support workforce (SAHAR teams) in the…

The Social Innovation Camp 2022 was co-organized by UNICEF and the Mustafa Foundation on the 9 th and 10 th of November 2022 in the Book Garden in Tehran, Iran. The 38 boys and girls who participated in the camp from 15 provinces were selected from the top teams in the 5 th Noor Student Competition. The programme was designed to channel children…

“We should not say this is someone else’s problem and let it go, we should work together with our friends to find a solution” , this is what Mahdi, a 10-year-old boy, a student from the city of Tabriz, thought after taking part in the Social Innovation Camp. The Social Innovation Camp 2022 was co-organized by UNICEF and the Mustafa Foundation on…

In a joint collaboration between UNICEF and the DCHQ, technical staff and peer leaders of the two UNICEF-supported Adolescent Girls Wellbeing and Empowerment Centres (APSWECs) in Mashhad and Kermanshah enhanced their knowledge and skills in implementing drug use prevention programmes and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) for…

UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, universities of medical sciences and health services and the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs, supports the supplementary immunisation campaign for under-15-year-old Afghan refugee children. The campaign, being held from 31 December 2022 to 30 January 2023…

UNICEF and Pardis Technology Park organized the Pitch Event of the 2 nd UNICEF Innovations for Children and Adolescents Challenge in Iran in the Azadi Innovation Factory on 15 th of December 2022 to recognize the top solutions. The 2 nd UNICEF Innovation Challenge was organized to identify, assess, and support top innovative solutions that aim to…

UNICEF Iran, in cooperation with the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) and Relief International, procured and distributed 2,450 nappy kits among Afghan refugee households from 14 to 24 November 2022. The kits, which include hygiene items for children under two years old, were distributed to Afghan refugees by volunteers from…