Press Releases
February 23, 2013
Shakira, Gerard Piqué and UNICEF Thank Fans for Helping Children through World Baby Shower
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Shakira and FC Barcelona soccer star Gerard Piqué today thanked hundreds of thousands of fans for taking part in their interactive World Baby Shower and buying lifesaving items for vulnerable children in support of UNICEF’s work around the world. "We are thrilled by the generosity that has been shown by the visitors to our World Baby Shower site,” said Shakira, who in January gave birth to the couple's first child, Milan.
February 22, 2013
Conflict and Crisis in Mali Disrupt Schooling for Hundreds of Thousands of Children
The crisis in Mali has disrupted the education of some 700,000 children, leaving 200,000 with no access to school in the North and South of the country, according to UNICEF and educational authorities in Mali. Since January 2012, 115 schools in the North have been closed, destroyed, looted or contaminated with unexploded ordnance. Many teachers have failed to return to the North, and overcrowded schools in the South cannot cope with the influx of displaced students from the North.
February 19, 2013
UNICEF Scales up Emergency Assistance in Syria despite Intensifying Conflict
In the face of intensifying violence and significant funding gaps, UNICEF is stepping up relief efforts in Syria, aiming to reach an increasing number of the more than four million people known to be in need of humanitarian assistance. At least half of the total affected population is made up of children. Many have been internally displaced by the ongoing conflict. They are living in collective shelters with few belongings, often lacking the most basic needs.
February 14, 2013
UNICEF Appeals for Funds to Assist Tens of Thousands of Flood Victims in Mozambique
UNICEF is seeking $6.8 million to meet the needs of tens of thousands of children and women affected by severe flooding of the Limpopo River in Mozambique. Some of the country’s heaviest rainfall in years prompted an Orange Alert on January 12 and a Red Alert on January 22. The southern province of Gaza is hardest hit by the flooding. More than 80 people have died, and as many as 200,000 people have been displaced.
February 8, 2013
Water and Sanitation Services in Syria Severely Disrupted by Conflict, Says UNICEF
Syrian children are at increased risk of disease because of severe disruption to services, damage done to water and sanitation systems, and a lack of access to basic hygiene during the nearly two-year conflict, UNICEF said today. A UNICEF-led nationwide assessment reveals that in areas affected by conflict, water supplies are only available at 1/3 of pre-crisis levels. And in affected towns, children and women are exposed to environmental health risks as the treatment of sewage water has decreased by half—from 70% before the crisis to 35% now.
