AMMAN, Jordan, 11 September 2012 – Maradi pushes her 2 1/2-year-old son Safwan on a swing while holding her 4-month-old daughter Sofian. Safwan’s twin brother Omran is back in their tent with Maradi’s husband. Report by Melanie Sharpe In a playground full of noisy children, Safwan swings back and forth in silence, squinting against the … Continued

SARANDO GANDA, Niger, 5 September 2012 – In Sarando Ganda, a village along the Niger River on the outskirts of Niamey, many of the mud-brick houses have collapsed or are severely damaged, leaving 70 per cent of the population homeless. Report by Shushan Mebrahtu UNICEF reports on a rash of floods that have struck the … Continued

Adolescents take part in a UNICEF-supported outdoor art class at a school housing internally displaced persons in Damascus. It is estimated that there are more than 150,000 internally displaced persons in Damascus and rural Damascus, half of whom are estimated to be under 18. Report by Razan Rashidi DAMASCUS, Syrian Arab Republic, 5 September 2012 … Continued

DOHUK, Iraq, 22 August 2012- The first thing that strikes you as you walk into the Domiz refugee camp is the number of children – running, playing or just sitting by their tents. When I mention this to the local camp administrator, he tells me that almost all the Syrian refugee families that have been … Continued

ZA’ATARI, Jordan, 17 August – The number of Syrian refugees crossing to Jordan is rising. To date, more than 7,000 people live in the tented Za’atari camp in Mafraq, north of Jordan. They are battered with frequent sand storms, hot weather and lack of natural shade. Report by Hala Abu Khatwa. UNICEF correspondent Hala Abu … Continued

AMMAN, Jordan, 15 August 2012 – Umm Ghassan sat inside her tent in Za’atari camp, holding her two-year-old grandchild.  She was waiting for the child’s siblings and mother, who had gone to fetch the water necessary to meet the family’s drinking and washing needs. Report by Hala Abu Khatwa Umm Ghassan wants to return to … Continued

As Syrians pour into Jordan, work is underway not only to provide essential safe water and sanitation, but to make sure the water lasts.  Jordan is the fourth most water scarce country in the world and the influx of people is putting a strain on an already limited water supply. Report by Wendy Bruere, RAMTHA, … Continued

Schools have closed and health centers have shut down or become too dangerous for families to reach. The violence has also forced tens of thousands of Syrian children to flee their homes and seek shelter in neighboring countries. Well over 120 000 people have fled to neighbouring countries, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon. UNICEF provides … Continued

DAMASCUS, Syria, 27 July 2012 – These have been difficult times for everyone in Damascus. Thousands of people have had to leave their homes to seek refuge in safer areas, often in schools and mosques. Report by Razan Rashidi By the weekend, dozens of schools in and around Damascus were full of displaced families. Volunteers … Continued

One year ago, on 20 July 2011, the United Nations declared famine in two regions of southern Somalia, the flashpoint in a humanitarian crisis gripping the Horn of Africa. After an outpouring of international support, the famine ended in February 2012, and countless lives across the region were saved. But 8 million people in Somalia, … Continued

SANA’A, Yemen, 10 July 2012 – “Wouldn’t you instinctively want to invest in hope more than horror?” These were the words of UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake during his three-day visit to Yemen this week. Report by Alison Parker. 7-9 July 2012: UNICEF correspondent Chris Niles reports on the visit of UNICEF Executive Director Anthony … Continued

AL MAFRAQ, Jordan, 9 July 2012 – Funnels of dust race like miniature tornadoes at this former airfield near the town of Al Mafraq, in Jordan’s north.Report by David Youngmeyer Here, staff members of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and UNICEF cluster on a weather-beaten road, discussing in urgent tones how to make this barren … Continued