Humanitarian action and emergencies

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti –“It used to be very calm in my neighbourhood,” says 9-year-old Jean* as he recalls how life used to be in the Savane Pistache area of the capital, Port-au-Prince. “I could go to school. I could visit the doctor when I was sick. I could play with my friends. And I could eat as much as I wanted.” “But everything changed…

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…

The war in the Gaza Strip is weighing heavily on young people – on their day-to-day lives and also their hopes for the future. Marwa, a fourth-year medical student at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, wants to become a surgeon – a dream that like so many others is now on hold.  She spoke with UNICEF a few months ago, and although her family has been…, Part 1: Sometimes I feel it’s driving me mad, Marwa describes a typical day with her family, how the war has made her feel, and why it’s sometimes impossible to get any sleep. It’s not death that we fear. It’s surviving death. Click play for audio experience Listen to Part 1 by Marwa Transcript Transcript “Every day, we wake up at 5 a.m. My brothers bring us water from the nearby houses in…, Part 2: Praying that it doesn’t rain, In the second exchange with UNICEF, Marwa shares the challenges her family have experienced during their most recent evacuation since the fighting escalated in October 2023. It rained so much that night. I can’t imagine how it would have been like if we slept in the street. Click play for audio experience Listen to Part 2 by Marwa Transcript…, Part 3: A hurricane of feelings, In the third conversation, Marwa describes the emotions she has been experiencing since the war erupted. Marwa with her family UNICEF Click play for audio experience Listen to Part 3 by Marwa Transcript Transcript UNICEF I entered medical school because I wanted to save people’s lives. Now, I’m helpless to save even the lives of the people I love…

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…

Months of escalating conflict have turned the Gaza Strip into the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.   Every child across Gaza has been exposed to deeply distressing events, witnessing horrors that no child should. Around 1.7 million people are estimated to have been internally displaced by the violence, half of them children.…

The climate crisis is affecting children everywhere – their lives, their communities and their health. Bangladesh – densely populated and with mostly flat and low-lying terrain – is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather, rising sea levels, and devastating floods. One in three children in…, Rohim, 12, Bangladesh. A boy poses with his arms folded at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496641/Nihab “I want to be a scientist, because they invent things to help people…, Bushara, 10, Bangladesh. A girl poses at a Multi-Purpose Centre at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496633/Nihab “I want to be a teacher to help my family.”, Ayat, 12, Bangladesh. A boy poses for the camera at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496629/Nihab “I want to help out the community.”, Sadiya, 12, Bangladesh. A girl poses at a Multi-Purpose Centre at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496631/Nihab “I want to be a teacher to share the knowledge I’m getting…, Mohammad, 10, Bangladesh. A boy poses at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496630/Nihab “I want to be a religious scholar. And a doctor. And an engineer!”, Abdul, 13, Bangladesh. A boy poses with his arms folded at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496628/Nihab “I want to be a doctor.”, Jainana, 10, Bangladesh. A girl poses at a Multi-Purpose Centre at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496635/Nihab “I want to be a teacher and I want to travel.”, Mohammad, 12, Bangladesh. A Rohingya refugee child poses at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496640/Nihab “I want to be a teacher.”, Tasmin, 9, Bangladesh. A girl poses at a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496636/Nihab “I want to teach English and Burmese.”, Shohida, 12, Bangladesh. A child’s drawing on the theme of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” is pictured at a Multi-Purpose Centre in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. UNICEF/UNI496632/Nihab “I want to be a doctor. I’ll manage to somehow.”, Climate change is changing children everywhere, The climate crisis is not just changing the planet, it is changing children. Children’s bodies and minds are uniquely vulnerable to pollution, deadly diseases and extreme weather, and they are disproportionately affected by the impacts of disasters, environmental degradation and the climate crisis. Children are not simply inheritors of our…, More about the Rohingya crisis, Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugee children have spent six years in exile from their home country after fleeing violence in Myanmar. Many of them have been born into this limbo. UNICEF has been on the ground in the refugee camps in Bangladesh from day one. And we are still there, working with partners for every Rohingya refugee child who…

More than three months of escalating conflict, killing and bombardments have left families in Gaza reeling. Each day, children face the risk of death from the sky, disease from lack of safe water, and dangerous shortages of food. Thousands of children have died and thousands more are left confronting a deadly triple threat of conflict, disease,…, Safety, Gaza Strip. A boy walks over the rubble of his destroyed home in Gaza City. A boy walks over the rubble of his destroyed home in Gaza City. Nowhere is safe in the Gaza Strip. The ongoing conflict means that it’s incredibly difficult for UNICEF and partners to move safely across the Gaza Strip and to gain access to children and families in need.…, Logistics, Gaza Strip. People walk past destroyed buildings in the centre of Gaza City. People walk past destroyed buildings in the centre of Gaza City. There aren’t enough trucks and there isn’t enough fuel to operate those that are available. Trucks carrying relief must undergo multiple layers of inspection before entering the Gaza Strip, but the…, Restrictions on commercial goods , Supplies of everyday essentials aren’t getting in to replenish markets. Without the ability to produce or import food, the entire population of Gaza relies on aid to survive. The United Nations, international aid agencies and non-governmental organizations have managed to deliver limited assistance in Gaza, but humanitarian aid alone cannot meet…

“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…

The ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip has left children reeling. Homes have been destroyed, communities have been shattered and displaced, and access to vital services has been disrupted. Now, the arrival of winter weather – marked by heavy rain, gusting winds, and cooler temperatures – is piling misery upon misery.  Families displaced…

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…

Thousands of children have been killed and thousands more injured across the Gaza Strip. Children are still being held hostage. Their basic rights to life and health are being denied, day after day. The loss and trauma they are experiencing will be borne out for generations to come.   Children bear no responsibility for war, but they suffer its…

When Rohingya families fled into Bangladesh in 2017, many of the children escaping violence in Myanmar carried with them the weight of unimaginable horrors. Hundreds of thousands of children now sheltering in Cox’s Bazar – one of the world’s largest refugee camps – have received immediate, life-saving support in the form of food, medicines and…