The Syrian conflict is now in its seventh year and it is children who are paying the heaviest price. No child in Syria is spared the horror of war. They can’t escape the violence, not in schools, hospitals, playgrounds, parks or even their own homes. For Syrian children, each year of conflict has been … Continued

  Entire villages have lost their crops and livestock, forcing families to leave their homes in search of food and water. Asha, a young widow, and her four children were forced to leave their home when all their livestock died.  With the help of their neighbours they travelled to a temporary shelter in search of food and … Continued

  A new UNICEF report has warned 600 million children (1 in 4) will live in areas with extremely limited water resources by 2040. According to Thirsting for a future – water and children in a changing climate, extremely high levels of water stress are currently being experienced in 36 countries; water stress occurs when … Continued

UNICEF has released ‘Song for Syria’ a powerful new song and music video performed by children affected by six years of war in Syria. The song is a message of hope from Syria’s children to the people of the world, with a simple request to get their childhood back. ‘Song for Syria’ is sung by … Continued

  The nutritional situation in South Sudan is critical. Malnutrition levels among children have reached emergency levels. Ongoing conflict and an economic crisis has created widespread food insecurity leaving 1 million children in the country severely malnourished. “More than one million children are currently estimated to be acutely malnourished across South Sudan. Over a quarter … Continued

  Rapid Response Missions are vital in emergency situations like South Sudan, where ongoing conflict has displaced millions of people from their homes. Displacement has left people scattered across the country in far flung locations that make it difficult to reach children with vital supplies and services like clean water, sanitation, food, medicine and education. … Continued

  A Deadly Journey for Children – Central Mediterranean Migration Route. UNICEF’s latest report on child migration includes the story of Pati* (16), from Nigeria. The Libyan Coast Guard brought her to a remote detention centre in Libya after the boat she was trying to cross to Italy in capsized. She was travelling on her … Continued

  Winter clothing e-vouchers are providing warmth and dignity for Syrian children, while also supporting the local economy. Winters in Syria are harsh and for children displaced from their homes it can be a struggle to survive. Children across Syria are living in homes without proper insulation or adequate heating. Their families cannot afford basic … Continued

For most children, the first day back to school is not something they look forward to. But for children who haven’t set foot inside a classroom in two or three years, the thought of returning to school is filled with excitement and celebration. Nisreen is one of millions of children across Iraq who have lost so … Continued

It’s happening again. Hear the remarkable similarities between the stories of Harry, a child refugee of WWII and Ahmed, a child refugee from Syria. Both consider themselves lucky to have been offered sanctuary outside the countries of their birth. Refugees need us. Refugees who are children are especially vulnerable.

UNICEF has launched its largest ever emergency assistance appeal. We estimate $3.3 billion will be needed to carry out essential humanitarian work on behalf of children in the greatest areas of need in 2017. See our assessment of countries in crisis here.

UNICEF is marking its 70th Anniversary, and as part of the celebrations we asked well-known dignitaries and writers from all over the world to participate in our Tiny Stories campaign. Each of them was given the brief to describe their wish #foreverychild in seven lines or less. Here in Ireland, President Micheal D. Higgins, Ballyturk … Continued