Press releases

AMMAN/NEW YORK/PORT SUDAN, Sudan, 12 October 2025 –, At least 17 children – 9 girls and 8 boys, including an infant just seven days old – were killed in an attack on the Dar al-Arqam Displacement Centre in Al Fasher, North Darfur, early yesterday morning, according to reports received by UNICEF. A further 21 children were reportedly injured. The attack occurred in a facility hosting families…

NEW YORK, 10 October 2025 –, “UNICEF welcomes today's ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, which provides hope for Palestinian children who have suffered through two years of horrific war. “UNICEF has more than 1,300 trucks ready to bring in tents, nutrition items, essential medicines and vaccines, learning and recreation kits, and water and sanitation supplies.  We have dedicated…

GENEVA, 10 October 2025 – “, Let me begin by sharing the reaction to yesterday’s news of this agreement to secure a ceasefire and end the war in the Gaza Strip from two children UNICEF spoke to in Deir al Balah, southern Gaza. Their words are far more powerful than anything I can say here today. “Maisara is 13 years old. He said: ‘I felt happy the moment I heard the news…

PORT-AU-PRINCE/NEW YORK, 8 October 2025, – The number of children displaced by violence in Haiti has almost doubled in the past year, with 680,000 now uprooted from their homes, according to a new UNICEF Child Alert report released today. Overall, more than 1.3 million people are displaced across the country as spiraling violence, collapsing services, and lack of humanitarian access push…

NEW YORK, 8 October 2025,  — “For more than 700 days, children in Gaza have been killed, maimed, and displaced in a devastating war that is an affront to our shared humanity. Israeli strikes on Gaza City and other parts of the Gaza Strip continue. The world cannot, and must not, allow this to go on. “In the last two years, a staggering 64,000 children have reportedly been…

ROME/NEW YORK, 6 October 2025,  – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican today to focus world attention on the plight of vulnerable children, especially those impacted by conflict, poverty and the global foreign aid funding and debt crises. “Today, children are suffering on an unprecedented scale from conflicts and crises, while access…, #####,  , Editor’s note:, According to a study by The Lancet an additional, 4.5 million deaths, among children under five could be recorded globally by, 2030 following the foreign aid cuts in 2025, . ED_PopeLeo Vatican Media

GAZA, 3 October 2025, – “Gaza City remains home to tens of thousands of children. Shoeless children push grandparents in wheelchairs around rubble. Amputee children struggle through the dust. Mothers carry children whose skin is bleeding from rashes. Children shudder at the relentless airstrikes. And children gaze skyward tracking the fire from helicopters and…

KINSHASA, DR Congo, 24 September 2025, – Nearly 45,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine are on their way to Kasai province as UNICEF intensifies efforts alongside the government and partners to protect children and families from the latest outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Since the outbreak was declared on 5 September, 47 suspected and confirmed cases have been…

Port-au-Prince, 23 September 2025 –, “UNICEF is deeply shocked and concerned by the killing of ten children in ten days in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti.   “According to reports, at least six children and several adults were killed on Saturday evening alone during a drone strike in the Simon Pelé neighborhood.  “Among the victims was a four-year-old girl who lost her life…

NEW YORK/AMMAN/PORT SUDAN, 22 September 2025 –, “The drone attack on a mosque near the Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced people in Al Fasher, North Darfur, during Fajr prayers three days ago is shocking and unconscionable. Initial reports indicate that at least 11 children, aged 6 to 15, were killed in the deadly attack, which hit not only the mosque, but also adjacent homes. Many more…

NEW YORK, 19 September 2025 –, The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly takes place amid global funding cuts, cascading crises – from conflict and displacement to disease outbreaks and climate shocks – and growing disregard for children’s rights. These pressures risk reversing decades of progress, putting millions of young lives and futures at stake. As leaders…, Media opportunities include:, Monday 22nd September, 7:30 – 8:45 AM   , United to Finish the Job: High-Level Side Event on Polio Eradication, The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), UNICEF, WHO, and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) will host a high-level side event on polio eradication, featuring two panel discussions: Polio Today – A Shared Responsibility will bring together GPEI leadership with key partners, including UNICEF Executive Director…, Tuesday 23rd September, 7:30 – 8:45 AM, Toward a Lead-Free Future: Mobilizing to End Childhood Lead Exposure , A high-level breakfast to highlight the urgent need for action and investment to eliminate lead exposure – a toxic threat that harms 1 in 3 children globally, with the heaviest toll in low- and middle-income countries. The event will feature Prime Minister of Bhutan H.E. Tshering Tobgay, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, Minister of…, Wednesday 24th September, 2:00 – 3:15 PM, A Future at Risk: Reinvigorating Global Action for the Rights of the Child, Hosted by Sweden in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Silvia and co-sponsored by UNICEF, Save the Children, and the World Childhood Foundation, the event will convene Member States, civil society, and youth advocates to renew commitments to children’s rights amid overlapping global crises. Speakers include Sierra Leone Minister of Gender and…, Thursday 25th September, 8:00 – 10:00 AM , High-Level Launch of the CAF Initiative to Promote the Development of Children and Youth, The Development bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) – and UNICEF are teaming up to promote the development of children and youth. During this high-level event, CAF will launch a new initiative aimed at mobilizing US$5 billion over five years to reach 50 million children, adolescents and youth across the region. The event will spotlight…, Thursday 25th September, 11:00 am – 1:00 PM, Generation Unlimited Global Leadership Council Meeting, 1 Billion Futures: Unlocking Youth Livelihoods through Public–Private Action, The high-level event will bring together heads of state, CEOs, multilateral leaders, and youth changemakers to accelerate solutions for youth employment and entrepreneurship. Co-chaired by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell and PwC Global Chairman Mohamed Kande, the event will feature leaders including Prime Minister Mia Mottley of…, ** In-person access for UN-accredited media only. Please RSVP to , [email protected], **, Interview opportunities include:, UNICEF Youth Advocates will participate as speakers and moderators before government leaders, high-level guests and UN Representatives at key events. They include: Juliana (23): A medical student from Brazil, Juliana creates educational content to protect children’s health and well-being, including guides and presentations on vaccines and online…

“Yesterday, armed individuals approached four trucks outside our compound in Gaza City that were getting ready to transport desperately needed Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) for malnourished children enduring famine.  “The individuals commandeered the drivers at gun point and diverted the RUTF before releasing the drivers and trucks.  “This…