Humanitarian action and emergencies

From widespread killing, maiming, abduction and sexual violence to recruitment into armed forces and groups and strikes on schools and hospitals, as well as essential water facilities – children living in conflict zones around the world continue to come under attack on a shocking scale.  To better monitor, prevent, and end these attacks, the…, 1. Killing and maiming of children, Killing and maiming of children can be a result of direct targeting or indirect actions, including torture. Killing and maiming can occur through crossfire, landmines, cluster munitions, improvised or other indiscriminate explosive devices or even in the context of military operations, house demolitions, search-and-arrest campaigns, or suicide…, 2. Recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups, Recruitment or use of children in armed forces and armed groups refers to compulsory, forced, or voluntary conscription or enlistment of children into any kind of armed force or armed group. The use of boys and girls by armed forces or armed groups can be in any capacity, including as fighters, cooks, porters, messengers and spies, or when they…, 3. Attacks on schools or hospitals, Attacks on schools or hospitals include the targeting of schools or medical facilities that cause the total or partial destruction of such facilities. Schools and hospitals should be protected spaces, where children are safe even in times of conflict, yet continued attacks on such facilities have underscored the catastrophic impact of armed…, 4. Rape or other grave sexual violence, Conflict-related sexual violence remains one of the most disturbing violation of children’s rights and has often been used as a tactic of war. Rape or other grave sexual violence includes acts of rape, other sexual violence, sexual slavery and/or trafficking, enforced prostitution, forced marriage or pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or sexual…, 5. Abduction of children, Abduction of children refers to the unlawful removal, seizure, capture, apprehension, or enforced disappearance of a child either temporarily or permanently. Whether it’s an intentional act of violence or retaliation, to instill fear among populations, or to forcibly recruit and/or sexually abuse children, abduction is one of the most pervasive…, 6. Denial of humanitarian access for children, Denial of humanitarian access for children includes the intentional deprivation or impediment of humanitarian assistance essential for children’s survival by parties to the conflict, including willfully impeding the ability of humanitarian or other relevant actors to access and assist affected children in situations of armed conflict.  Warring…, What UNICEF is doing , Lebanon. A Syrian refugee holds a box of supplies. A Syrian refugee holds a box of supplies in Lebanon. UNICEF and partners are continuing to provide care and protection for children living through war, advocating on their behalf, and engaging with all parties to conflict to ensure their rights are upheld. In addition to providing emergency and…

Climate change is disrupting weather patterns, leading to more frequent and more intense extreme weather events, unpredictable water availability, exacerbating water scarcity and contaminating water supplies. Such impacts can drastically affect the quantity and quality of water that children need to survive. Today, a change in climate is felt…

Escalating conflicts, disasters, food insecurity, and disease outbreaks have combined to create unprecedented global humanitarian needs in 2024. From Haiti, to the State of Palestine and Sudan, grave violations , violence and devastated essential services are leaving millions of children at risk. Meanwhile, climate shocks, food insecurity, and…, Afghanistan, Afghanistan. A group of girls drink water from a tap installed with UNICEF support in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. A group of girls drink water from a tap installed with UNICEF support in Balkh Province, Afghanistan. Afghanistan is home to one of the most crushing humanitarian crises in the world. After decades of conflict, Afghans have been cut…, Burkina Faso, Burkina Faso. A mother holds her baby at a health centre in Fada. A mother holds her baby at a health centre in Fada, Burkina Faso. More than 3 million children in Burkina Faso require humanitarian assistance against the backdrop of ongoing conflict and massive internal displacement. Burkina Faso is located in the Sahel region, which is embroiled…, Cameroon, Cameroon. A child sips from a cup after a cooking demonstration in Garoua-Boulai, Cameroon. Children receive a nutritious meal after a cooking demonstration in Garoua-Boulai, Cameroon. Cameroon faces a complex mix of armed conflict, inter-communal violence, an influx of refugees from neighboring countries, disease outbreaks including cholera and…, Central African Republic, Central African Republic. A child rests on a bed in the nutrition clinic at L’hôpital de Bossangoa in Bossangoa. A child rests on a bed in the nutrition clinic at L’hôpital de Bossangoa in Bossangoa, Central African Republic. The Central African Republic is one of the toughest places in the world to be a child. Widespread violence and displacement…, Chad, Chad. A mother carries her child on her back at a refugee site in eastern Chad, close to the border with Sudan. A mother carries her child on her back at a refugee site in eastern Chad, close to the border with Sudan. Conflict-induced displacements, a nutrition crisis, natural disasters resulting from climate change, epidemics, poverty, and…, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A baby is screened for malnutrition by a nurse at a UNICEF-supported health centre in South Kivu Province. A baby is screened for malnutrition by a nurse at a UNICEF-supported health centre in South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Intensifying violence, massive displacement, and the proximity of…, Ethiopia, Ethiopia. A mother protects her son from the sun with a piece of cardboard in Hegalle in the Somali region. A mother protects her son from the sun with a piece of cardboard in Hegalle in the Somali region in Ethiopia. Overlapping hazards including conflict, severe drought, flooding, intercommunal violence and outbreaks of diseases have left more…, Haiti, Haiti. A boy sits during an interview with beneficiaries of a clean water programme run by UNICEF in Jeremie. A boy sits during an interview with beneficiaries of a clean water programme run by UNICEF in Jeremie, Haiti. Political turmoil, civil unrest, increasing armed violence, crippling poverty and natural disasters: A deadly combination of…, Myanmar, Myanmar. A woman cycles past buildings that were badly damaged during Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State. A woman cycles past buildings that were badly damaged during Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State, Myanmar, on 14 May 2023. Widespread conflict continues to have a devastating impact on children and their families in Myanmar. Grave child rights…, Somalia, Somalia. A girl plays with her brother outside their shelter at a camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Mogadishu. A girl plays with her brother outside their shelter at a camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Mogadishu, Somalia. A once-in-a-century drought in 2023 was followed by El Niño-induced flooding,…, South Sudan, South Sudan. A girl washes her face at taps installed with the support of UNICEF in a camp for internally displaced persons in Unity State. A girl washes her face at taps installed with the support of UNICEF in a camp for internally displaced persons in Unity State, South Sudan. South Sudan, the world’s youngest country, has faced multiple…, State of Palestine, State of Palestine. Children collecting water walk past badly damaged buildings. Children collecting water walk past badly damaged buildings in the Gaza Strip. Even before the escalation of violence in October 2023, children in the State of Palestine had grown up under the shadow of recurrent violence and crushing poverty. But the hostilities in…, Sudan, Sudan. Children display vaccination cards after receiving doses of cholera vaccine during a cholera vaccination campaign in Gezira State. Children display vaccination cards after receiving doses of cholera vaccine during a cholera vaccination campaign in Gezira State, Sudan. An outbreak of conflict in Sudan in 2023 created one of the largest child…

The right to safe drinking water and sanitation is rooted in the Convention on the Rights of the Child , United Nations resolutions and the Geneva conventions. It is a right that is as critical to the survival of children as food, medical care, and protection from attack. But from State of Palestine to Ukraine, to Yemen and beyond, it is clear…, Attacks on water are attacks on children, Water resources and the systems required to deliver drinking water have been attacked for centuries. All too often, the human dependence on water has been exploited during conflict. Nearly all of the conflict-related emergencies where UNICEF has responded in recent years have involved some form of attack hindering access to water, whether directed…, Explore the reports, UNICEF launched the Water Under Fire campaign, including its Water Under Fire report , in March 2019 to draw global attention to three fundamental areas where changes are urgently needed to secure access to safe and sustainable water and sanitation in fragile contexts. As part of the campaign, it has launched three additional volumes: Vol. 1:…

Across the globe, children are facing a historic confluence of crises – from conflict and displacement to infectious disease outbreaks and soaring rates of malnutrition. Meanwhile, climate change is compounding the severity of these crises and unleashing new ones.  In a volatile world, with more children in need than ever and resources…, Afghanistan, Afghanistan. A child is points toward the camera at the inpatient ward of Wardak Provincial Hospital in Afghanistan. 10-month-old Adela points toward the camera at the inpatient ward of Wardak Provincial Hospital in Afghanistan. More than 29 million people in Afghanistan, including nearly 16 million children, cannot meet their basic needs due to…, Haiti, Haiti. Students stand together at a school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Students stand together at a school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A deadly combination of political turmoil, an upsurge in armed violence, malnutrition and skyrocketing inflation have left more people in Haiti in need than ever before. More than 5 million people – close to half of…, Türkiye, Türkiye. Sema Hosta, UNICEF Türkiye Chief of Communication, plays with a child at a UNICEF Child Friendly Space in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye. Sema Hosta, UNICEF Türkiye Chief of Communication, plays with a child at a UNICEF Child Friendly Space in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye. When two massive earthquakes and numerous aftershocks hit south-east Türkiye and…, Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea. A boy sits by the window of a clinic. A boy sits by the window of a clinic in Papua New Guinea. Despite considerable economic growth over the past decade, significant challenges remain for Papua New Guinea’s children and their families. The country’s health system is fragile, with hundreds of thousands of children still missing…, Pakistan, Pakistan. Essential health supplies are transported by boat in Sindh Province, Pakistan, following massive flooding. Essential health supplies are transported by boat in Sindh Province, Pakistan, following massive flooding. When devastating floods ravaged Pakistan in August 2022, millions of children were left in need humanitarian assistance and…, South Sudan, South Sudan. A child sits at a transit point transit point where UNICEF is providing health, nutrition, and child protection services in Upper Nile, South Sudan. A child sits at a transit point transit point where UNICEF is providing health, nutrition, and child protection services in Upper Nile, South Sudan. Even before violence erupted in its…

Smiling is contagious and these happy children from around the world are sure to put a smile on your face! Find out what's been making them smile this year: Above: Franky, 3, was separated from his parents during the crossing of the Darien Gap, a dangerous jungle that separates Colombia and Panama, but reunited with them both a couple of days…

Two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep the globe, life remains upended for hundreds of millions of children. Classrooms have sat empty. Families have struggled through financial crisis. Life-saving immunizations have been halted. Compounding the ongoing devastation of the pandemic in 2021 has been a deadly combination of conflict,…, Cyclone Eloise in Mozambique, Mozambique. A young girl takes shelter in a school in Beira to escape from the winds and heavy rains of Tropical Cyclone Eloise. A girl takes shelter in a school in Beira to escape from the winds and heavy rains of Tropical Cyclone Eloise. For Mozambique, 2021 started with a powerful storm that hit a region still recovering from the devastation of…, Malnutrition in Yemen, Yemen. A child in the malnutrition unit of Al-Sadaqa Hospital in Aden. A child receives care in the malnutrition unit of a hospital in Aden. Life has become a living hell for many of Yemen’s children. Years of armed conflict and economic decline, the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe funding shortfall for the humanitarian response are pushing…, Ten years of conflict in Syria, Syrian Arab Republic. A child carries a newly-received winter clothing kit in Al-Hol camp for displaced persons. A child carries a winter clothing kit in a camp for displaced persons in northeastern Syria. The conflict in Syria has left the lives and futures of a generation of children hanging by a thread. A decade of conflict has had a staggering…, Crisis in northern Ethiopia, Ethiopia. A child is screened for malnutrition in Tigray. A child is screened for malnutrition in Tigray, Ethiopia. Six months after conflict erupted in northern Ethiopia, families in the region were dealing with multiple crises, with no end in sight. By mid-April, more than one million people had been displaced as fighting continued, separating…, Water under fire in Ukraine, Ukraine. A girl stands in front of her home holding a bucket for water. A girl stands in front of her home in eastern Ukraine. A UNICEF report released in May found that eastern Ukraine had experienced around 380 attacks on water infrastructure since 2017. Attacks on water and sanitation facilities and workers in conflicts around the world…, Violence in the State of Palestine, State of Palestine. A Palestinian boy wades in water at the site of his destroyed home in Gaza City. A Palestinian boy wades in water at the site of his destroyed home in Gaza City. Gaza’s children were left reeling from a violent escalation in conflict in May. Lives were lost and families shattered, with devastating impacts on children. In Gaza,…, South Asia battered by COVID-19 wave, India. Workers sort oxygen canisters before they are dispatched to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Workers sort oxygen canisters at a facility on the outskirts of Amritsar, India, before they are dispatched to treat hospitalized COVID-19 patients. A deadly surge in COVID-19 cases in South Asia – home to almost 2 billion people – placed an…, Decade of independence marked in South Sudan, South Sudan. A young girl stands at the side of the road in Juba in front of a UNICEF vehicle. A young girl stands by the side of a road in front of a UNICEF vehicle in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. A decade after South Sudan’s independence, more children are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance than ever before. Bouts of violence and…, Humanitarian emergencies in Afghanistan…, Afghanistan. Children hold hands at a child-friendly space in a displacement camp near Herat. Children hold hands at a child-friendly space in a displacement camp near Herat. Afghanistan was  already one of the most dangerous places  in the world to be a child. But as the crisis escalated in August, the situation became even more desperate.…, …and in Haiti, Haiti. A boy stands in front of a house following an earthquake. A boy stands in front of a damaged house following an earthquake in August 2021. A powerful earthquake in Haiti in August devastated homes, schools and hospitals. Even before the disaster, Haiti was facing multiple crises, including growing political instability, growing gang-related…, A COVID-induced education crisis, UN Headquarters. A view of UNICEF's No Time to Lose installation. UNICEF unveiled its ‘No Time to Lose' in September at United Nations Headquarters in New York. In September, UNICEF announced that schoolchildren around the world had lost an estimated 1.8 trillion hours – and counting – of in-person learning since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic…, #DonateDosesNow, Madagascar. A woman receives her second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. A woman receives her second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. The development of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines has been a huge step forward in the global effort to end the pandemic and to get back to doing more of the things we enjoy…, Crossing the Darien Gap, Panama. A woman carries a child at the Migrant Reception Station in Bajo Chiquito. A woman carries a child at a migrant reception station at Bajo Chiquito, Panama. In October, UNICEF warned that the number of migrant children who cross the Darien Gap – a jungle that separates Colombia and Panama – had hit an all-time high. In this dense tropical…, Climate crisis = Child rights crisis, Fiji. Students are photographed inside a school library destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Yasa. Students are photographed inside a school library in Fiji destroyed by Tropical Cyclone Yasa. As extreme weather events such as cyclones and heatwaves increase in frequency and ferocity, they threaten children’s lives and destroy infrastructure critical to…, “Hellish conditions” in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Two children and a woman photographed in the Rhoe camp for internally displaced persons in Ituri Province. Two children and a woman are photographed in the Rhoe camp for internally displaced persons. Tens of thousands of children living in a remote and inaccessible hilltop camp for displaced people in the province…, Largest-ever appeal launched, UNICEF has been on the ground protecting children, keeping them learning, and supporting their health and nutrition across new and worsening crises. In December, UNICEF launched a US$9.4 billion emergency funding appeal for children – its largest ever – to reach 177 million children affected by humanitarian crises and the COVID-19 pandemic…

One of the cheapest, easiest, and most important ways to prevent the spread of disease is frequent handwashing with soap and water. But for many children and families, basic water and hygiene facilities remain out of reach.  Thirty per cent of the world’s population lacks access to soap and water at home, while 900 million children lack soap and…

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of families around the world. Across virtually every key measure of childhood , progress has gone backward in the 12 months since the pandemic was declared, leaving children confronting a devastating and distorted new normal. The past year has seen an increase in children who have been left hungry,…

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a devastating toll on hundreds of millions of people across the globe. But it is children and their families who are being hit hardest by the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Before COVID-19, children were twice as likely as adults to be living in extreme poverty. Now, the number of children living below…, Sierra Leone, Isatu está sentada con su hijo Roy en un mercado de Freetown, Sierra Leona. Isatu está sentada con su hijo Roy en un mercado de Freetown, Sierra Leona. Even before the pandemic, 66 per cent of Sierra Leone’s children were living in poverty. Now, with millions of families’ finances even more precarious, children are at an even greater risk of…, Thailand, Tukta, a la derecha, junto a su familia. Tukta, a la derecha, junto a su familia. Thailand is working hard to control the spread of COVID-19, but it is already clear that the economic and social impact on the country’s most vulnerable families is severe. With the Thai economy projected to shrink by close to 8 per cent this year, UNICEF and…, Sri Lanka, La familia de Wasana juega al aire libre en Colombo, Sri Lanka. La familia de Wasana juega al aire libre en Colombo, Sri Lanka. Before the pandemic, Wasana and her family lived a relatively comfortable middle-class life in Colombo. But a stringent curfew aimed at stopping the spread of the coronavirus turned the small family’s import business –…, Madagascar, Emilie, que es parapléjica, entra con ayuda a una tienda de Antananarivo, Madagascar. Emilie, que es parapléjica, entra con ayuda a una tienda de Antananarivo, Madagascar. More than two thirds of children in Madagascar live in what is known as multidimensional poverty – without access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation or safe…, Guatemala, Telma cose mascarillas utilizando un patrón que se descargó de internet, en Guatemala. Telma cose mascarillas utilizando un patrón que se descargó de internet, en Guatemala. The strict lockdown in Guatemala was particularly devastating for the roughly 60 per cent of the population already living in poverty. Telma was one of the many parents who…, Tajikistan, Una mujer sostiene a un niño pequeño en Tayikistán. Una mujer sostiene a un niño pequeño en Tayikistán. As one of the most remittance-dependent economies in the world, Tajikistan has been hit particularly hard by the global crisis. A World Bank report in July found that some 40 per cent of families in the country reported reducing their food…

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is of a scale most people alive today have never seen. Worldwide, the outbreak is claiming lives and livelihoods as health systems buckle, education is disrupted and families struggle to stay afloat.  Communities across the globe are rising to the challenge – from health and social workers risking their…, What is UNICEF doing to support children during COVID-19? , Our response to the coronavirus disease must reimagine a world fit for every child. History has shown that UNICEF, together with partners, has the experience and reach to improve the lives of millions of children and their families. We were there for the post-World War II refugee crisis – and have responded to every natural disaster, armed…

  As people around the world are taking precautions to protect themselves, their families and their communities from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) it’s also important that children can continue to learn, and that they can do so in an environment that is welcoming, respectful, inclusive, and supportive to all. Schools and teachers play a vital…, Preschool, Focus on communicating good health behaviours, such as covering coughs and sneezes with the elbow and washing hands. See more on how to avoid the risk of infection here . One of the best ways to keep children safe from coronavirus and other diseases is to simply encourage regular handwashing, for at least 20 seconds. It doesn't need to be a scary…, Primary school, Make sure to listen to children’s concerns and answer their questions in an age appropriate manner; don’t overwhelm them with too much information. Encourage them to express and communicate their feelings. Discuss the different feelings they may be experiencing and explain that these are normal reactions to an abnormal situation. Emphasize that…, Lower secondary school, Make sure to listen to students’ concerns and answer their questions. Emphasize that students can do a lot to keep themselves and others safe. For example, introduce the concept of physical distancing, and focus on good health behaviours, such as covering coughs and sneezes with the elbow and washing hands. See more on how to avoid the risk of…, Upper secondary school, Make sure to listen to students’ concerns and answer their questions. Emphasize that students can do a lot to keep themselves and others safe. For example, introduce the concept of physical distancing, and focus on good health behaviours, such as covering coughs and sneezes with the elbow and washing hands. See more on how to avoid the risk of…