Humanitarian action and emergencies

Factsheets provide an update on the situation and needs of children in a country or region, as well as information on UNICEF’s response and funding requirements.

Situation reports are the main reporting tool to monitor UNICEF’s humanitarian response. They provide an update on the situation and needs of children in a country or region, as well as information on UNICEF’s response and funding requirements.

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 Eritrea; the strategies that we are using to respond to these situations; and the donor support that…, Appeal highlights, Eritrea remains highly vulnerable to economic, climatic and external shocks, including drought, limited access to safe water, insecurity, the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia and the socioeconomic impact of sanctions. What's more, the country's most fragile ecosystems are threatened by climate change and desertification as well as desert locust…, Key planned results for 2023, Health icon 600,000 children and women accessing primary health care Nutrition icon 40,000 children with severe wasting admitted for treatment Education icon 200,000 children receiving individual learning materials Wash icon 100,000 people accessing a sufficient quantity and quality of water, Funding requirements for 2023, Country needs and strategy, Humanitarian needs Humanitarian needs, People in Eritrea continued in 2022 to feel the impact of weak socioeconomic conditions, low food production, a decline in family remittances due to economic sanctions and depletion of groundwater levels affecting access to potable water. Over the past two years, climatic conditions have tested the coping capacities of the country and its…, UNICEF's strategy UNICEF’s strategy, In 2023, UNICEF and the Government will continue to strengthen links between humanitarian and development programming in Eritrea. UNICEF will procure ready-to-use therapeutic food and other essential supplies. UNICEF, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, aims to scale up neonatal intensive care services and support the treatment of severe…, Programme targets, Find out more about UNICEF's work, December 2022, 2023 www.unicef.org/appeals/eritrea HumanitarianAction for Children EritreaHIGHLIGHTS1 Eritrea remains highly vulnerable to economic, climatic and external shocks, including drought, limited access to safe water, insecurity, the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia and the socioeconomic impact of sanctions.2 What's more, the country's most fragile…

What’s happening in the Horn of Africa?, A prolonged drought across large swathes of Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya has unleashed hunger, thirst, displacement and death on already vulnerable communities as crops fail and livestock die. Communities have been forced to take extreme measures to survive, with thousands of children and families leaving their homes out of pure desperation in…, Recent news and features, How are children affected?, Consecutive seasons of poor rainfall has killed crops, animals and livestock, resulting in the loss of nutritious food. This, coupled with poor access to safe water and sanitation, has left many children at a high risk of malnutrition. As a result, the number of children in the Horn of Africa region who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition…, Learn about UNICEF’s work in the Horn of Africa, Djibouti, Find out more, Eritrea, Find out more, Ethiopia, Find out more, Kenya, Find out more, Somalia, Find out more, Eastern and Southern Africa, Find out more, How is UNICEF responding to climate crises in the region?, UNICEF is working to ensure that drought-affected children and families can receive the lifesaving support they so urgently need, while also supporting their recovery and building resilience against future shocks. Somalia. A mobile health and nutrition team provides treatment for internally displaced persons at a camp in Mogadishu. A mobile health…, UNICEF is working with partners to:, Provide access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. This includes emergency water trucking, urgent rehabilitation and repairs of water supply systems, drilling new boreholes, and hygiene promotion activities. Ensure access to nutritional support. This includes increasing procurement of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and expanding the…, What next?, In July 2022, UNICEF  launched a regional call to action to address the drought crisis. Thanks to early and rapid interventions by partners and donors in 2022, UNICEF provided lifesaving aid to children and communities across the region.  But food insecurity and other needs remain high due to the sheer magnitude of the crisis and the years of…

When the war in Ukraine broke out, Kateryna, a mother of two, quickly packed up some essentials – diapers, clothes – and left the family home in the village of Kryukivshchyna, close to Kyiv. She didn’t take much. She didn’t think she needed to. “We left everything, because it didn’t feel like we were leaving home. I never imagined that we wouldn’t…, Building a new life in Poland and accessing health services, Poland has welcomed more Ukrainian refugees than any other country - almost 1.4 million people have registered there. Many are children, so their needs are at the heart of the refugee response.   The park is a short walk from home, so Mykyta gets to play outdoors most days. UN0705576, The park is a short walk from home, so Mykyta gets to play outdoors most days., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705576/Strek Mykyta’s aunt, 13-year-old Daryna, pretends to take a picture of him with a toy camera. UN0705586, Mykyta’s aunt, 13-year-old Daryna, pretends to take a picture of him with a toy camera., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705586/Strek Matviy enjoys yoghurt for breakfast in his highchair. UN0705551, Matviy enjoys yoghurt for breakfast in his highchair., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705551/Strek Mykyta on the balcony at his new home. UN0705580, Mykyta on the balcony at his new home., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705580/Strek The park is a short walk from home, so Mykyta gets to play outdoors most days. Mykyta’s aunt, 13-year-old Daryna, pretends to take a picture of him with a toy camera. Matviy enjoys yoghurt for breakfast in his highchair. Mykyta on the balcony at his new home. Kateryna quickly registered the children at UNIMED…, Mykyta after receiving his immunizations from the nurse, Ewelina Tytula. He is protected against measles, mumps and rubella with the MMRvaX Pro vaccine; diphtheria, tetanus, and polio types 1, 2 and 3 with the Tetraxim vaccine; and chickenpox using the Varilrix vaccine., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705561/Strek Part of the service includes a general check-up with the doctor. UN0705558, Part of the service includes a general check-up with the doctor., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705558/Strek Matviy also receives vaccinations, protecting him against the same diseases as his older brother. UN0705564, Matviy also receives vaccinations, protecting him against the same diseases as his older brother., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705564/Strek Mykyta is given some stickers and a certificate for being a “brave patient”. UN0705560, Mykyta is given some stickers and a certificate for being a “brave patient”., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705560/Strek Mykyta after receiving his immunizations from the nurse, Ewelina Tytula. Part of the service includes a general check-up with the doctor. Matviy also receives vaccinations, protecting him against the same diseases as his older brother. Mykyta is given some stickers and a certificate for being a “brave patient”., Making new friends and building confidence on the football field, In addition to getting the vaccinations her children need, Kateryna is also focused on making sure her two boys can participate in activities they enjoy and that they make new friends. “Mykyta is so sociable that he’ll find friends everywhere,” she says. “I found an advertisement for a football club. It turned out that the coach is from Ukraine,…, New beginnings at a new school, While Kateryna is happy that Mykyta is meeting other children, she has been worrying about what’s next for his education. Over the summer, she says she wasn’t even sure where Mykyta’s first day of class would be. Like so many parents who have been forced to uproot their children, Kateryna was finding it difficult to make plans amid the constantly…, After a long day, there's no place like home, The family back at home at the end of a school day. Back at their new apartment, Kateryna stretches the fun day of activities into the evening, just like she did in Kryukivshchyna – the village she and her family had to flee.  Bedtime stories are part of their daily routine. Bedtime stories are part of their nightly routine. “I instilled in Mykyta…

Factsheets provide an update on the situation and needs of children in a country or region, as well as information on UNICEF's response and funding requirements. 

WARSAW, 3 August 2022 - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas travelled to Poland this week to meet refugee children and families who fled the war in Ukraine.  Chopra Jonas visited a “Blue Dot” space at the Refugee Accommodation Centre in Warsaw, meeting with mothers and children from Ukraine who are now staying at the centre, the…

Situation Reports are the main reporting tool to monitor UNICEF's humanitarian response. They provide an update on the situation and needs of children in a country or region, as well as information on UNICEF's response and funding requirements. 

WARSAW, Poland – Until recently, Olga lived a happy life in Kyiv. She loved spending time with her family. She enjoyed her job as a legal researcher. There was no indication that everything would soon fall apart for her, as it has for so many other families forced to flee everything they’ve known. With tears in her eyes, Olga shows me a video on…

NEW YORK/GENEVA/KYIV, 30 March 2022 – Two million children have now been forced to flee Ukraine, as the war rages on. “The situation inside Ukraine is spiralling,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “As the number of children fleeing their homes continues to climb, we must remember that every single one of them needs protection,…

After a month of war in Ukraine, children continue to be killed, injured and deeply traumatized by the violence all around them. Millions of children have had their lives upended in the most devastating way. The war has caused one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since World War II – a grim milestone that could have lasting…

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 7 March 2022 – "In the past week, more than one million refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine seeking safety and protection. Hundreds of thousands of them are children. Amongst those fleeing, many are unaccompanied or have been separated from their parents or family members. "Children without parental care are at a heightened…