Bulgaria

UNICEF Bulgaria is looking for a consultant to provide support with taking stock of results achieved and identifying best practices in providing access to education for Ukrainian refugee children, as well as to outline sustainable solutions for the continuation of learning in the next years.  More than 72,770 Ukrainian refugees are residing in…

Harmanli, 16 May 2024, A Safe Zone for unaccompanied refugee children was opened today in the largest registration and reception center for refugees in Harmanli. The official opening was attended by Ms. Iliana Iotova, Vice President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Kalin Stoyanov, Minister of Interior, H.E. Raymund Furrer, Ambassador of the Swiss…

"Innocence Unbound" tells the stories of children who have crossed several borders in search of hope, safety and protection. View the full gallery of photographs. Gallery Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 01 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-07, Photo Exhibition "Innocence Unbound", UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 02 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-02, “People die crossing borders, and sometimes just being near them. The lucky ones are reborn on the other side.” ― Kapka Kassabova, Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe, UNICEF/2024/NikolayStoikov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 03 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-03, Around the world, millions of people are forced to flee their homes to escape conflict, persecution, and poverty; others leave in the hope of finding a better life. Many of these people are children., UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 04 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-07, Millions of children on the move face danger, detention, deprivation, and discrimination on their journeys. It doesn’t have to be this way., UNICEF/2024/NikolayStoykov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 05 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-05, A child is a child, no matter why she leaves home, where she comes from, where she is, or how she got there., UNICEF/2024/NikolayStoykov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 06 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-06, “It’s precisely when you have lost your roots that everywhere you go matters hugely.” ― Kapka Kassabova, Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe, UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 01 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-07, In recent years, the number of people seeking protection in Bulgaria has increased significantly, as have the number of children who come alone or are separated from their families., UNICEF/2024/NikolayStoykov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 08 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-08, More than 11 000 unaccompanied children have sought asylum in Bulgaria in the period 2019-2023., UNICEF/2024/NikolayStoykov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 08 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-08, Many refugee and migrant children miss out on an education. А very small percentage of refugee children are enrolled in school., UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 10 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-10, Ammira* is 12 years old from Syria. She is in Bulgaria with her aunt Leila. Her parents are in Turkey. She is the eldest of 3 children in the family., UNCIEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 11 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-11, Ammira* starts school for the first time in September 2023 in Bulgaria. Until then, because of the conflict in Syria and because she was forced to flee, Ammira had not been to school., UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 12 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-12, Today, Ammira*, is making rapid progress in school, but she is also finding a new environment, new friends, and new hope to realize her greatest dream - to become a doctor., UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 13 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-13, Nur* is 18 years old from Syria. He arrived alone in Bulgaria when he was 16 years old. His family is in Turkey, but they already have permission to reunite and will soon be together with Nur in Bulgaria., UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 14 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-14, Nur* is extremely passionate about his hobby - football, and dreams of becoming a professional footballer and playing for a world-famous club. Nur never gives up his dream, despite all the difficulties and a long way to freedom he has gone through., UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 15 Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 15, Havidar is raising her three boys alone. She fled Syria to save her children and to give them a chance for a better and decent life., UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 16 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-16, Ahmed* is the youngest son of Havidar. Although he is only 8, Ahmed has crossed several borders with his mother and brothers, leaving his friends and favorite toys behind in Syria. However, he is always smiling., UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 17 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-07, Rana* is 9 years old from Syria. She arrived in Bulgaria with her mother Abir, younger brother and sister. Rana has an older brother aged 11 who came to Bulgaria alone two years ago and is currently placed in a social service for children. Rana's sister is 4 years old and she is with disabilities., UNICEF/2024/NikolayStoykov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 18 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-18, Sara* is 11 years old from Syria. She is in Bulgaria with her father Rashid. Sara's mother has been forced to stay alone with her other 4 children as one of them is with disabilities and cannot take the long and dangerous journey with her. Sara and her father walked for four days in the forest, in rain, cold, sun and more rain, until they finally…, UNICEF/2024/DobrinMitov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 19 BGR-Exhibition-Innocence-Unbound-Refugee-Harmanli-19, Every child has the right to protection, care and all the support and services they need to thrive., UNICEF/2024/NikolayStoykov Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 01 Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 02 Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 03 Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 04 Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 05 Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 06 Exhibition Innocence Unbound…

From armed conflict to natural disasters, climate change and political instability, the modern world presents children with many challenges. Bulgaria is an external border of the European Union and is located on the threshold of the Eastern Mediterranean migration route. The country is one of the main countries through which refugees and people…, Resources, General Comment No 6 (2005) Treatment of unaccompanied and separated children outside their country of origin  Unaccompanied refugee and migrant children Safety and dignity for refugee and migrant children: recommendations for alternatives to detention and appropriate forms of care in Europe The way forward to strengthen policies and practices on…, Protection of refugee and migrant children, See what UNICEF is doing in Bulgaria. Every child has the right to protection, care and all the support and services they need to develop. Together with the government, local authorities, civil society organizations, professional associations, other UN agencies, UNICEF works to provide effective care and protection to refugee and migrant children…, See Photo Exhibition "Innocence Unbound" here, Exhibition Innocence Unbound Refugee Children 01

Fund Raising Officer, (NO-2), fixed-term appointment, APPLY NOW Job no: 571691 Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment Duty Station: Sofia Level: NO-2 Location: Bulgaria Categories: Fund Raising   UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, we are committed,…

Copenhagen, Geneva, Brussels, Sofia 23 April 2024 – Vaccines are one of humanity’s greatest achievements. In the last 50 years alone, they’ve saved 154 million lives – that’s more than 3 million lives a year or six people every minute for five decades. In the same period, vaccination has reduced infant deaths by 40 per cent; more children now live…

Environmental pollution and climate change are a significant threat to the rights of children and young people worldwide. A clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right and is necessary for children and young people to live a fulfilling life.  Environmental problems are also present in Bulgaria, where children are exposed to air and…

APPLY NOW Job no: 571105 Contract type: Temporary Appointment Duty Station: Sofia Level: G-6 Location: Bulgaria Categories: Fund Raising   UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, we are committed,…

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, nearly 7 million people have been forced to flee their homeland in search of asylum. Nearly 70,000 find their new home here - in Bulgaria, where they begin their "second life". Especially for children, parting with home, with friends, and sometimes with family, leaves deep wounds. Coming here, they face…

GENEVA/NEW YORK/WASHINGTON/SOFIA, 13 March 2024 – The number of children who died before their fifth birthday has reached a historic low, dropping to 4.9 million in 2022, according to the latest estimates released today by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). The report reveals that more children are…

APPLY NOW Job no: 570032 Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment Duty Station: Sofia Level: G-6 Location: Bulgaria Categories: Programme Management UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190…

GENEVA/KYIV/SOFIA, 23 February 2024 – Children in cities in Ukraine’s frontline areas have been forced to spend between 3,000 and 5,000 hours – equivalent to between four and almost 7 months – sheltering in basements and underground metro stations over the past two years, as air raid alerts sound above. Since the war escalated in February 2022,…