Press Releases
Threefold increase in the number of children killed or injured in Ukraine over the past three months
NEW YORK (July 4, 2025) – The verified number of children killed or injured in Ukraine between 1 March and 31 May 2025 increased by more than 200 per cent compared to the previous quarter, according...
Every five seconds, a child is displaced, injured, or killed in the Middle East and North Africa’s conflicts
NEW YORK (July 1, 2025) – At least 12.2 million children have reportedly been killed, maimed or displaced in conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in less than 2 years, the equivalent...
UNICEF Director of Child Protection Sheema Sen Gupta's remarks at the UN Security Council Open Debate on children and armed conflict
NEW YORK (June 25, 2025) - "Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues. First of all, let me thank Guyana for allowing UNICEF the opportunity to address this Council today. "As we gather around...
UNICEF Executive Director concludes three-day mission to Chad, meeting with some of the 700,000 children displaced across border from Sudan
NEW YORK (June 23, 2025) – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell today concluded a three-day mission to Chad, warning of the worsening crisis affecting children in the eastern part of the...
UNICEF USA Announces New Appointments to Board of Directors: Frans Hijkoop and Dr. Sippi Khurana
NEW YORK (June 23, 2025) – UNICEF USA today announced the appointment of Frans Hijkoop and Dr. Sippi Khurana to the national Board of Directors. Their appointment, effective as of July 1st, expands...
UNICEF Executive Director visits the Sahel as insecurity and displacement continue to affect children
New York (June 21, 2025) – At the end of a mission to Burkina Faso, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell today called for urgent action to protect children across the Sahel whose lives are...
Gaza’s Taps Running Dry: Fuel Crisis Deepens Daily Struggle for Families
NEW YORK (June 20, 2025) – “In a war already defined by its brutality, Gaza now teeters at its deadliest edge. Currently just 40 percent of drinking water production facilities remain functional in...
Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on the children killed by the alarming escalation of violence in the Middle East
NEW YORK (June 15, 2025) – “This weekend’s surge in violence across the Middle East signals a dangerous escalation. Children are once again paying the ultimate price. “Since Friday, an intense...
Conflict, displacement and disease drive food insecurity and malnutrition to alarming levels in parts of South Sudan
NEW YORK (June 12, 2025) – The population in two counties in South Sudan are at-risk of famine in the coming months, as conflict in Upper Nile state escalates, destroying homes, disrupting livelihoods...
Despite progress, child labor still affects 138 million children globally – ILO, UNICEF
NEW YORK (June 11, 2025) – Nearly 138 million children were engaged in child labor in 2024, including around 54 million in hazardous work likely to jeopardize their health, safety, or development...