Press releases
Protecting children and engaging communities key to ending Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as deaths pass 2,000
30 August 2019 – Almost 600 children have now lost their lives to the Ebola outbreak in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) out of almost 850 who have caught the deadly virus since the epidemic started in August 2018.
More than 1,100 unaccompanied refugee and migrant children in Greece need urgent shelter and protection
29 August 2019 – The number of unaccompanied and separated refugee and migrant children, staying in dangerous and overcrowded Reception and Identification Centres on the Greek islands, and detention facilities across the country, now exceeds 1,100 – the largest number since the beginning of 2016 – UNICEF said today.
G7 leaders must prioritise children in Syria as violence mounts in the northwest
23 August 2019 G7 leaders must prioritise children in Syria as violence mounts in the northwest. Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
School closures in West and Central Africa triple since 2017, as education comes under fire across the region
23 August 2019 – More than 1.9 million children have been forced out of school in West and Central Africa due to an upsurge in attacks and threats of violence against education across the region, UNICEF said today in a new report.
Mike Penrose to step down as Executive Director of Unicef UK
20th August 2019 - Mike Penrose to step down as Executive Director of Unicef UK
DRC Ebola outbreak: UNICEF responds as 17 month-old boy dies in South Kivu province
20th August 2019- UNICEF responds to the news that a 17-month-old boy died at the weekend - the third confirmed case of Ebola in South Kivu province.
Unicef UK responds to UK losing its 'measles-free' status
19th August 2019- Following a marked increase in measles cases in 2019, the World Health Organisation has confirmed that the UK has lost its ‘measles free’ status. Unicef UK's Liam Sollis responds.
Shortfall in education opportunities deepens despair of refugee Rohingya youth: UNICEF
16 August 2019 – Frustration and despair are overwhelming young Rohingya refugees in southeastern Bangladesh, UNICEF said today. The UN children’s agency has issued a new report calling for urgent investment in education and skills development opportunities in and around the vast camps where most of the refugees live.
Saving children stranded on the Mediterranean must be prioritised over politics
Statement attributable to Ms. Afshan Khan, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia and Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant response in Europe
Number of children orphaned or left unaccompanied by Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rising fast: UNICEF
13 August 2019- The number of children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who have been orphaned or left unaccompanied due to the Ebola epidemic has more than doubled since April.
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals: a far-fetched dream for millions of girls, boys and youth in the Middle East and North Africa
Unless governments prioritise peace and stability and invest boldly in what matters most for children and the untapped potential of youth, the MENA region will fail to reach the Sustainable Development Goals
Holly Willoughby has interview “like never before” with child refugee, Bodoor
London, 2nd August, 2019 – Holly Willoughby was left “inspired” after an interview “like never before” with 17-year-old, Bodoor, who told her about her experiences as a child refugee living in Jordan.
Why family-friendly policies are critical to increasing breastfeeding rates worldwide - UNICEF
1 August 2019 – From supporting healthy brain development in babies and young children, protecting infants against infection, decreasing the risk of obesity and disease, reducing healthcare costs, and protecting nursing mothers against ovarian cancer and breast cancer, the benefits of breastfeeding for children and mothers are widespread. Yet, policies that support breastfeeding – such as paid parental leave and breastfeeding breaks – are not yet available to most mothers worldwide.
Ebola outbreak: Joint statement from UNICEF, WHO, UN, and WFP
Joint statement from UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, and World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley.
Geneva Palais briefing note on the impact of the Ebola outbreak on children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
A summary of what was said by Jerome Pfaffmann, UNICEF Senior Health Specialist – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at the Palais des Nations press briefing in Geneva.
“No child should be buried in their school uniform”
29 July 2019 - Statement by Abdullah Fadil, UNICEF Representative in Sudan
UNICEF breaks ground on Africa’s first-of-its-kind recycled plastic brick factory in Côte d'Ivoire
29 July 2019 – UNICEF, in partnership with Colombian social enterprise Conceptos Plasticos, today announced it had broken ground on a first-of-its-kind factory that will convert plastic waste collected in Côte d'Ivoire into modular plastic bricks. The easy-to-assemble, durable, low-cost bricks will be used to build much needed classrooms in the West African country.
UNICEF ramps up Ebola prevention efforts as South Sudan assessed as ‘high-risk’ country
29 July 2019 — Crucial information on how to protect oneself from contracting Ebola saves lives. Since January 2019, UNICEF and its partners have engaged more than 3 million people in South Sudan with Ebola prevention messages, the UN children’s agency said today.