DUBLIN/NEW YORK/ GENEVA/PANAMA CITY/QUITO, 19 April 2016 – At least 150,000 children have been affected by the April 15 earthquake in Ecuador, according to initial UNICEF estimates. “We are in a race against time to protect children from disease and other risks common in such emergencies,” said Grant Leaity, UNICEF Representative in Ecuador. In some of … Continued

Dublin / Panama, 17 April 2016 – UNICEF has delivered 20,000 water purification tablets to Pedernales, the area worst affected by the earthquake that hit Ecuador on Saturday. A UNICEF team is on the ground assessing the impact of the quake on children. At least 246 people are confirmed to have died so far and more than 2,500 people … Continued

DUBLIN, 14 April 2016 – Today, across the OECD, UNICEF is publishing a new report on how inequality affects children in high income countries. Gap between rich and poor in wealthy nations at highest level for three decades. 30% of Irish children suffer “material deprivation” and lack essential items. UNICEF calls on the next Government … Continued

DUBLIN, 6 April 2016 – With the process of returning refugees and migrants from the Greek islands to Turkey underway as part of the EU-Turkey agreement, UNICEF reminds States of their duty to care and protect all children and give them a full and fair hearing when deciding on their future. UNICEF welcomes a new … Continued

Dublin, 30 March 2016 – A brutal conflict and a fast-deteriorating humanitarian situation are devastating the lives of millions of children in Yemen and have brought the country to the point of collapse. A UNICEF report “Children on the Brink” highlights the heavy toll that the violence in Yemen is having on children, where an already precarious … Continued

Dublin, 14 March 2016 – An estimated 3.7 million Syrian children – 1 in 3 of all Syrian children – have been born since the conflict began five years ago, their lives shaped by violence, fear and displacement, according to a UNICEF report on Syria. This figure includes 306,000 children born as refugees since 2011. … Continued

UNICEF to Undertake Nationwide Immunisation Throughout Syria The humanitarian relief effort intensifies as ceasefire holds  Dublin – 2 March 2016, As the fragile ceasefire continues to hold throughout Syria, UNICEF has agreed with the Syrian Government to undertake a nationwide immunisation programme to help the embattled children in Syria. UNICEFs global Executive Director, Anthony Lake, … Continued

  Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake following his visit to Syria   HOMS, SYRIA – 1 March 2016: I complete this visit to Syria, together with Dr. Peter Salama, UNICEF Regional Director, on the eve of the fifth anniversary of this war.  My previous trip came on the eve of the third anniversary, two … Continued

Dublin, 22 February 2016 – Less than 36 hours after Cyclone Winston devastated Fiji, UNICEF Pacific has begun assisting those most affected, in partnership with the Government of Fiji. UNICEF today began to distribute pre-positioned emergency supplies in Fiji, with a focus on distribution to worst-affected communities. UNICEF Ireland Executive Director, Peter Power, said “In … Continued

B-roll available for broadcasters here     Dublin, 19 February 2016 – An average of two children have drowned every day since September 2015 as their families try to cross the eastern Mediterranean, and the number of child deaths is growing said IOM, UNHCR, and UNICEF. The agencies are calling for enhancing the safety of … Continued

Strikes against children in a hospital in Syria  Statement by the Executive Director of UNICEF, Anthony Lake  NEW YORK, 15 February, 2016 – “We at UNICEF are appalled by reports of attacks against four medical facilities in Syria – two of which were supported by UNICEF. One is a child and maternal hospital where children … Continued

UN AGENCIES WARN OF ESCALATING FOOD CRISIS IN SOUTH SUDAN Rise in hunger at harvest time; harsh and prolonged 2016 lean season approaching Juba, South Sudan is facing unprecedented levels of food insecurity, as 2.8 million people – nearly 25 percent of the country’s population – remain in urgent need of food assistance, and at … Continued