Press releases

For every 18 doses of COVID -19 vaccines delivered to G20 countries, only 1 dose has been delivered to Low Income Countries in Africa, UNICEF finds

For every 18 doses of Covid-19 vaccines delivered per person in G20 countries like the UK, only one dose has been delivered per person to low income countries in Africa** - according to research published today by the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK). 

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Haiti: Insecurity-triggered fuel shortage threatens newborns’ lives in hospitals

PORT-AU-PRINCE, 25 October 2021 – Hundreds of women and children who seek emergency care in health facilities are at risk of dying if solutions are not found to the fuel shortage prevailing in Haiti due to insecurity, UNICEF warned today.

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Alarming spike in abductions of women and children in Haiti - UNICEF

21 October 2021 – In Haiti, the number of children and women abducted for ransom in the first eight months of 2021 has already surpassed last year’s total, UNICEF warned today.

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9 in 10 children are worried about climate change, finds new report from VotesforSchools and UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) (clone)

Friday 22 October 2021 – A new report from VotesforSchools and the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) has found that children and young people across the UK are extremely concerned about the climate crisis.

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Four children killed on their way to school in northwest Syria

20 October 2021 – “Four children – three boys and one girl – and a teacher were confirmed killed while on their way to school this morning in an attack on a market in Ariha, south of Idlib, northwest of Syria. The numbers of children injured and killed continue to increase.

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‘Shameful milestone’ in Yemen as 10,000 children killed or maimed since fighting began: Geneva Palais briefing note on the situation of children in Yemen

GENEVA, 19 October 2021 – “The Yemen conflict has just hit another shameful milestone: 10,000 children have been killed or maimed since fighting started in March 2015. That’s the equivalent of four children every day.

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The safety and wellbeing of children at high risk in detention centres in Libya

12 October 2021 - UNICEF calls for immediate release of children in detention centres across Libya as safety and wellbeing of children is at high risk

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Nearly 170 children expelled back to Haiti from US and Cuba in one day

PORT-AU-PRINCE, 10 October 2021, Nearly 170 Haitian children arrived in Port-au-Prince yesterday with their parents after being expelled from Cuba mainly and the U.S., according to UNICEF. Most of the children are from southwestern Haiti and left two to three weeks after the August earthquake in an attempt to reach the U.S.

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2021 records highest ever number of migrant children crossing the Darien jungle towards the US – UNICEF

PANAMA CITY, 11 October 2021 - Almost 19,000 migrant children have journeyed through the Darien Gap so far this year, nearly three times more than the number registered over the five previous years combined. More than 1 in 5 migrants crossing the border between Colombia and Panama are children. Half of them is below the age of five.

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UNICEF and BTS celebrate success of ‘groundbreaking’ LOVE MYSELF campaign

6 October 2021 - UNICEF, record label BIGHIT MUSIC, and the 21st century pop icons BTS are marking the groundbreaking success of the LOVE MYSELF campaign this week, with the campaign reaching almost every country in the world with positive messages of self-love and self-care.

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Impact of COVID-19 on poor mental health in children and young people ‘tip of the iceberg’ – UNICEF

5 October 2021 – Children and young people could feel the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health and well-being for many years to come, UNICEF warned in its flagship report today.

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Half of Afghanistan’s children under five expected to suffer from acute malnutrition as hunger takes root for millions

Kabul, 5 October 2021 –Wrapping up a two-day visit to Herat, UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, Hervé Ludovic De Lys, and WFP Afghanistan Representative and Country Director, Mary-Ellen McGroarty, sounded the alarm on the dire state of malnutrition and food insecurity sweeping across the country.

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Earthquake leaves nearly 70 per cent of schools damaged or destroyed in southwestern Haiti – UNICEF

PORT-AU-PRINCE, 4 October 2021 – Over a month after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, about 70 per cent of all schools in the Southwestern part of the country are still either damaged or destroyed, UNICEF said.

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UNICEF statement on Ethiopia

1 October 2021 – “The Ethiopian Government’s decision to expel the UNICEF representative in the country – along with other members of the UN leadership team – is regrettable and alarming.

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UN agencies call for protection measures and a comprehensive regional approach for Haitians on the move

Geneva, 30 September 2021 - U.N agencies call on states to refrain from expelling Haitians without proper assessment of their individual protection needs, to uphold the fundamental human rights of Haitians on the move, and to offer protection mechanisms or other legal stay arrangements for more effective access to regular migration pathways.

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UNICEF-WHO: COVAX ultar-low temperature freezers boost vaccine storage capacity to 9 million

DHAKA, 28 September 2021 – Twenty-six ultra-low temperature freezers delivered by UNICEF through COVAX in August are enabling Bangladesh to receive, store and distribute large quantities of COVID-19 vaccines that require ultra-cold storage.

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Global leaders commit further support for global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and COVAX

London 23 September 2021 – Global leaders attending the Global COVID-19 Summit hosted by the United States have again underlined their commitment to ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries through COVAX – noting that equitable access is essential to end the acute stage of the pandemic.

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Over 2 in 3 people expelled to Haiti from US border are women and children – UNICEF

NEW YORK/PORT-AU-PRINCE/MEXICO CITY, 23 September 2021 – According to UNICEF initial estimates, over 2 in 3 Haitian migrants who have been returned to Port-au-Prince are women and children. Some of them are newborn babies, with specific and immediate needs.

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UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) statement on Covid19 Vaccine Summit

22 September 2021 - Joanna Rea, Director of Advocacy UNICEF UK says:   "The commitments made at today’s summit are welcome progress in global collaboration towards ending the COVID-19 pandemic for everyone. We now quickly need these pledges to become reality with immediate action in the days and months ahead.  

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Young children’s diets show no improvement in last decade, ‘could get much worse’ under COVID-19 - UNICEF

NEW YORK, 22 September 2021 – Children under the age of 2 are not getting the food or nutrients they need to thrive and grow well, leading to irreversible developmental harm, according to a new report released by UNICEF today.

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