The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the lives of children and their families across the globe. UNICEF is working with experts to promote facts over fear, bringing reliable guidance to parents, caregivers and educators, and partnering with front-line responders to ensure they have the information and resources they need to keep children healthy and…, COVID-19: Schools for more than 168 million children globally have been completely closed for almost a full year, Latest updates and features, Tips and guidance for families, UNICEF is working with health experts around the clock to provide tips and guidance for families on everything from how to talk to children about COVID-19 , to how to wash your hands properly , to advice for teenagers on how to protect their mental health ., How UNICEF is helping, As the number of COVID-19 cases soars, so do the needs of children and their families. From delivering life-saving health supplies, to building water and hygiene facilities, to keeping girls and boys connected to education and protection, UNICEF is working to slow the spread of COVID-19 and minimize its impact on children worldwide. , Stories and features, Media resources, UNICEF’s media team is working around the clock to provide the latest information on the COVID-19 response through the latest press releases, statements, multimedia and other resources for journalists. Resources for policymakers and practitioners A volunteer in Syria talks to a young girl outside to cheer her up. UNICEF/UNI345341/Aldroubi Guidance…

Syria. Three children fill a container with water. UNICEF/UN0398428/Chnkdji, A grim milestone for Syria’s children, After 10 years of conflict, the situation for many children across Syria has never been worse. Children and their rights are undermined on a daily basis – through continuing violence and grave rights violations, rising food insecurity and a tumbling economy. Nearly 90 per cent of children are in need of humanitarian assistance , a 20 per cent…, Crisis in Syria: What you need to know, What is happening in the Syrian Arab Republic? Ten years of humanitarian crisis and hostilities has had a profound impact on the situation of children in Syria, across the region and beyond. Every Syrian child has been impacted by the violence, displacement, severed family ties and lack of access to vital services caused by massive physical…, Syrian crisis snapshot, Recent Syria news and features, What UNICEF is doing in Syria, UNICEF and partners are on the ground in Syria and across the region working to protect children, to help them cope with the impact of conflict and to resume their childhoods. This includes improving access to education and psychosocial support services to help children and caregivers to recover from trauma and to restore a sense of normalcy.…, Results for children in Syria, In 2020, UNICEF and partners:, Donate now to help save and change children’s lives, More resources

Crisis overview: What’s happening in Central African Republic?, In December 2013, Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, descended into a brutal bloodbath as the already fragile state was further weakened. Early signs of recovery and rebuilding soon gave way to a dramatic resurgence in fighting, with armed groups frequently targeting civilians rather than each other. Despite a February 2019 peace…, How are children being affected?, The Central African Republic is one of the toughest places in the world to be a child. The economic slowdown and rising food prices have had a significant impact on the well-being of families, leaving tens of thousands of children under 5 years in need of treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Even before the COVID-19, children in the Central…, What is UNICEF doing to help children in Central African Republic?, Despite challenging security and access conditions, UNICEF and partners have continued to respond wherever possible. UNICEF is on the ground supporting efforts to release children from armed groups; reunifying separated or unaccompanied children with their families; providing appropriate psychosocial support to children affected by conflict;…, Central African Republic snapshot, Recent news and features about Central African Republic, What UNICEF is doing in Central African Republic, UNICEF is prioritizing child-centred, life-saving interventions and risk reduction to support displaced, returning and host community people in the Central African Republic who have been impacted by the enduring crisis, recurring epidemics and natural disasters. The protection needs of children are central to UNICEF's humanitarian response in the…, Results for children in Central African Republic, In 2020, UNICEF and partners:

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., 2021, Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), 30 April 2021 UNICEF support to the COVID-19 surge in India as part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A)

Despite progress in the past two decades, one third of children under 5 are malnourished – stunted, wasted or overweight – while two thirds are at risk of malnutrition and hidden hunger because of the poor quality of their diets. At the centre of this challenge is a broken food system that fails to provide children with the diets they need to grow…, The Food Systems Summit 2021, In September 2021, the UN Secretary-General will host the UN Food Systems Summit to increase understanding of the problems with current food systems, and set a course to radically transform them. The summit is a critical moment to, listen to the voices of children and young people, . Not only does their future depend on a radical overhaul of our food systems, but they also have some of the best and brightest ideas about how these systems can better serve people and our planet. That is why UNICEF co-hosted a global youth dialogue on 4 May and is running 20 national Youth Dialogues ahead of the summit. You, too, can have your…, What are food systems?, Food systems are the public policy decisions; the national and global systems and supply chains; and the individuals and groups – public and private – that influence what we eat. They are important for two key reasons: What we eat – our diets – is one of the biggest drivers of health and well-being. This is especially the case for children. Good…, Why do food systems need reform?, A staggering one third of all children are not growing up well because of malnutrition, . Food systems are a major driver of this., Too often driven by profit over purpose, decisions about what food is produced and how that food is processed, packaged, and promoted undermine the quality of what children eat, . The most nutritious food is often expensive, putting it out of reach for many households, while unhealthy alternatives are readily available and heavily marketed., Conflict, climate change, environmental crises and emergencies are also making food systems fragile, . As a result, millions of children do not have safe and regular access to nutritious food to the extent that famine – which should be consigned to history – looms again., Food systems are threatening the health of our planet, . Industrial food production contributes a third of greenhouse gas emissions globally, and its heavy use of fresh water, fertilizers, and pesticides has an immense ecological impact. This creates a vicious cycle of environmental degradation that further harms children’s access to safe, healthy and nutritious food. By better understanding the…, Making change happen, Action on food systems can transform this situation – progress is possible. For example, over the past two decades, the number of undernourished children has fallen by one-third. We know we can continue this progress through collective action to:, Improve the quality of what children eat, . This includes mandatory quality standards for children’s food, public policies that promote healthy diets, and supply-chain interventions to fortify staple foods for young children., Improve the quality of children’s food environments – where they live, learn and eat, . This includes ending unhealthy food marketing that targets children, serving better food in schools, and improving food labeling., Improve feeding practices – especially in early childhood, . This includes protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding and encouraging healthy food practices through health, education and social protection systems. It is also vital that action is taken to minimize the environmental damage of food systems and to reduce their carbon footprint. This has a critical role to play on the road to COP 26 –…, Find out more

We have a choice. It is not inevitable that children are direct targets in conflict, or that indiscriminate attacks against children are a by-product of conflict. Too often, warring parties block and deny life-saving assistance to children. Meanwhile, millions of children are left close to death due to severe acute malnutrition, being forced to…, call to action to protect children in war., It is a call to warring parties and those with influence over them to fulfil their obligations to children. It is a call to governments, the UN Security Council and other organizations to hold perpetrators of crimes against children to account. And it is a call to people around the world to demand the change that we know is possible. UNICEF is…, Uphold children’s rights in conflict  , All warring parties must fulfil their obligations to protect children and  end grave violations  against children in times of war, and those with influence should use their power to support warring parties to take steps to do so.  , This means, :, Stopping,  attacks on children and the services on which they rely. Parties to conflict must: , End,  deliberate and indiscriminate attacks that kill and maim children., End, attacks on education, including attacks on and threats to students, teachers, and schools, as well as the use of schools for military purposes, End , attacks on healthcare, including health workers and hospitals and health facilities, End , attacks on water and sanitation facilities and personnel, Avoiding, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas given their disproportionate and especially damaging impact on children, Upholding, global commitments to deliver a world free from the threat of landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive device, Ending the recruitment and use of,  children by armed forces and groups and , ending the detention of children,  allegedly associated with armed forces or groups, Releasing,  children associated with armed forces or groups to protective services and supporting reintegration into their communities – including safely repatriating foreign children to their countries of origin, where it is in their best interests to do so., Ending, the abduction of children in conflict, Stopping all , sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence against children, Stopping,  the denial of life-saving humanitarian assistance to children in emergencies and, ending attacks on humanitarian workers,  , Hold perpetrators of child rights violations to account , States, including UN Security Council Members and all with influence, must act to hold the perpetrators of crimes against children to account., Children have rights in conflict, and there are laws and norms that exist to protect them. Failing to uphold these duties is a failure of morality, humanity and leadership.  , Keep children and their communities safe and support recovery from the experiences of war , Humanitarian donors must increase their investments in protecting children in conflict; supporting survivors; and monitoring, reporting, and engaging with parties to conflict to end child rights violations.,  This includes prioritizing mental health and psychosocial support, reintegration, and taking action to prevent and respond to gender-based violence.   These steps are vital to protect children and girls at heightened risk of abuse, and to support recovery from the trauma of war.  , Work towards inclusive and lasting peace  , All parties to conflict should immediately put an end to fighting and work towards lasting and inclusive peace., At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Secretary General called for a global ceasefire. The international community must support UN-led efforts to broker lasting peace. At a minimum, all parties to conflict must ensure a pause for safe, effective and inclusive COVID-19 vaccine delivery and pandemic response and recovery efforts.  All peace…, To make this happen, UNICEF needs people around the world to speak up , for the rights of children whenever and wherever they can. This means:, Demanding that their leadership act to prevent attacks and violence against children in war Using your influence over governments – and all who have power – to insist children are protected according to international law Pressing for peace whenever and wherever possible   Although the plight of children in conflict sometimes feels inevitable, it…, There are plenty of reasons for hope, . Across the globe, remarkable children and young people persevere, fight for peace, and strive for a better life for them and their communities. We owe it to them to overturn this deadly dereliction of duty and build a future free from harm. We all can make a choice to help make change a reality..  Please join us.

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., 2021, Timor-Leste Humanitarian Situation Report No. 4 (Flood) - 29 April - 6 May 2021 Timor-Leste Humanitarian Situation Report No.3 (Floods) 22- 28 April 2021 Timor-Leste Humanitarian Situation Report No.2 (Floods) 17 - 21 April 2021 Timor-Leste Humanitarian Situation Report No.1 (Flood) 5 - 16 April 2021 Read more about Humanitarian Action for…

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., 2021, 22 April 2021 10 April 2021 Read more about Humanitarian Action for Children 2020  here .  

Henkel, with its brands Somat and Pril, supports UNICEF’s global nutrition programme to provide children healthy and nutritious diets., In many parts of the world, children do not receive the diets they need – in quantity, frequency or quality – to survive, grow and develop to their full potential. Diets deficient in vital nutrients are the main cause of malnutrition. Children afflicted by malnutrition in early life face irreversible physical and mental damage for the rest of…, What the partnership does, Henkel, a German chemical and consumer goods company, has been supporting UNICEF’s global nutrition programme since 2019. The funding from the partnership is used in the regions and countries where it is needed most, particularly in Asia and Africa. The partnership is part of the initiative #enjoytogether, Henkel’s first common global…

For 75 years, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has been working tirelessly for child rights and for the well-being of every child. Whoever they are. Wherever they live. UNICEF has been an unstoppable force for change in the lives of children around the world. Since UNICEF was established, in the aftermath of World War II, we have been…, The world we need, The past: From loud emergencies to invisible ones, When the world’s most vulnerable children have needed a champion, UNICEF has been there.  From short-term relief during armed conflict, natural disasters and humanitarian crises to long-term survival and development programmes, we have helped build resilient health and welfare systems across the globe. We have defeated diseases, provided essential…, The present: A child rights crisis is upon us, Nurses at the health center of Port Bouet, a suburb of Abidjan, wear masks and gloves to protect against the Coronavirus. Côte d'Ivoire, 2020. Nurses at the health center of Port Bouet, a suburb of Abidjan, wear masks and gloves to protect against the Coronavirus. Today, the world is again facing multiple crises —  the COVID-19 pandemic, climate …, The future: Reimagining the world for every child, With disruption comes opportunity. Just as we rebuilt from the ruins of World War II, our goal today remains ensuring global recovery by prioritizing investments for children. To do so, we bring 75 years of experience to the following priority areas : Vaccines for all One of our biggest contributions to children’s lives has been keeping them safe…