Middle East and North Africa

NEW YORK, 5 January 2024 – Children in the Gaza Strip face a deadly triple threat to their lives, as cases of diseases rise, nutrition plummets and the escalation in hostilities approaches its fourteenth week. Thousands of children have already died from the violence, while living conditions for children continue to rapidly deteriorate, with…

“At first, I was scared of injections,” Leen says as she remembers how she used to feel when it came time to get vaccinated. “But I saw what happened to children who weren’t vaccinated. They got a fever and a red rash because they had measles.” Leen is just 10 years-old, but she has already seen the life-saving potential of routine immunization.…, Troubling trend, Measles and rubella are highly contagious and major causes of child mortality and congenital disabilities, yet both diseases can be prevented through vaccination. By late November 2023, a total of 50,795 suspected cases of measles and rubella had been reported in Yemen, resulting in more than 560 associated deaths – a sharp increase from the 27,…, Empowered and proud, Although children are signing up on an individual, voluntary basis to be sponsors, they are given a chance to participate in joint activities with other child sponsors and are also provided with useful school items – an important incentive for children from the poorest households. In addition, the sponsor initiative is conducted in partnership…

AMMAN, 28 December 2023 – “This year has been the deadliest year on record for children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with conflict-related violence reaching unprecedented levels. “83 children have been killed in the past twelve weeks – more than double the number of children killed in all of 2022, amid increased military and law…

PORT SUDAN/NEW YORK, 27 December 2023 – 253 babies and children have been safely evacuated from transit centres in Wad Madani, Sudan to a safer location in the country, after fighting in Al Jazirah state erupted this month. For many of the children, this is the second time they have been evacuated after they were evacuated from Mygoma orphanages…

NEW YORK, 22 December 2023 – “Yesterday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned the world of the very high risk of famine in the Gaza Strip, increasing every day if the situation persists. Specifically, the IPC report said at least 1 in 4 households in the Gaza Strip, or more than half a million people, are facing…

NEW YORK/AMMAN/PORT SUDAN, 21 December 2023 – The escalation in fighting in Sudan’s Al Jazirah state has reportedly forced at least 150,000 children from their homes in less than a week, UNICEF warned today. The eruption of fighting in Al Jazirah means that more than half of states in Sudan – 10 out of 18 – are experiencing active conflict. An…

AMMAN, 20 December 2023 – Recently displaced children in the southern Gaza Strip are accessing only 1.5 to 2 litres of water each day, well below the recommended requirements just for survival, according to UNICEF estimates. According to humanitarian standards, the minimum amount of water needed in an emergency is 15 litres, which includes water…

GENEVA, 19 December 2023 - “The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. And day after day, that brutal reality is reinforced. “Over the past 48 hours, the largest remaining fully functioning hospital was shelled, twice. That hospital – Al Nasser in Khan Yunis – not only shelters large numbers of children who had already…

BEIRUT, 13 December 2023 – The impact of Lebanon’s unrelenting, overlapping crises continues to worsen, increasingly robbing children of their education and forcing many into child labour, as parents struggle with ever-diminishing resources With data collected in November 2023, UNICEF analysis reveals further deterioration in almost every aspect…

Humanitarian Action is at the core of UNICEF’s mandate to realize the rights of every child. This edition of  Humanitarian Action for Children  – UNICEF’s annual humanitarian fundraising appeal – describes the ongoing crises affecting children in the Middle East and North Africa; the strategies that we are using to respond to these situations; and…, Children in the Middle East and North Africa face life-threatening situations and multiple vulnerabilities caused by a variety of natural and social hazards, protracted and acute armed conflicts, public health emergencies and climate change-related disasters. UNICEF prioritizes emergency preparedness and response to meet the immediate humanitarian…, Key statistics, Health icon 83.9 million people in need of health and nutrition assistance Child protection icon 34 million children in need of protection services Education icon 36.9 million children in need of education support Wash icon 59 million people lack access to safe water, Funding requirements for 2024, Regional needs and strategy, Humanitarian needs Humanitarian needs, The Middle East and North Africa region faces unprecedented challenges, including the impact of protracted and changing crises, compounded by the consequences of climate change. Humanitarian situations and conflicts have diminished national and local capacities and infrastructure. Governance fragility, natural hazards and other global crises have…, UNICEF's strategy UNICEF’s strategy, In accordance with the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, UNICEF's strategy is to meet immediate humanitarian needs while also building the capacity of national and local civil society partners to address existing and emerging vulnerabilities and ensure the protection and promotion of child rights in humanitarian action. UNICEF…, Find out more about UNICEF's work, December 2023, 2024 www.unicef.org/appeals/mena HumanitarianAction for Children Middle East and North Africa RegionHIGHLIGHTS Children in the Middle East and North Africa face life-threatening situations and multiple vulnerabilities caused by a variety of natural and social hazards, protracted and acute armed conflicts, public health emergencies and climate…

AMMAN, 9 December 2023 – “The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them. “UNICEF and other humanitarian actors have…

NEW YORK, 1 December 2023 – “Today, the Gaza Strip is once again the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. After seven days of respite from horrific violence, fighting has resumed. More children will surely die as a result. “Before the pause, more than 5,300 Palestinian children were reportedly killed in 48 days of relentless bombing –…