Press Releases
Humanitarian crisis for children deepens after one month of war in the Middle East
NEW YORK (March 30, 2026) – More than one month into the military escalation in the Middle East, conflict continues to exact a devastating toll on children across the region. More than 340 children...
An average of 19,000 children displaced daily as escalating violence uproots 20 per cent of Lebanon's population in three weeks
NEW YORK (March 27, 2026) – “In just three weeks, more than 370,000 children have been forced out of their homes in Lebanon, an average of at least 19,000 girls and boys displaced every single day. To...
UNICEF Chief calls for urgent global support as children in Somalia face worsening malnutrition
NEW YORK (March 26, 2026) – Nearly 2 million children across Somalia are at risk of acute malnutrition, reflecting a deteriorating situation as multiple crises continue to converge, warned UNICEF...
Remarks by UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Ted Chaiban, at the UN Secretary General Spokesperson’s noon briefing: Across the Middle East, a generation of children is being pulled deeper into crisis
NEW YORK (March 23, 2026) – “Twenty-three days into the escalating conflict in the Middle East, children across the region are paying a devastating price. A further descent into a wider or protracted...
Progress in reducing child deaths slows as 4.9 million children under five die in 2024
NEW YORK (March 18, 2026) – An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new estimates released today. Most of these deaths...
Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, on the killing of Palestinian children in the West Bank
NEW YORK (March 17, 2026) – “Violence has again claimed the lives of Palestinian children in the West Bank. On 14 March, two siblings, aged 5 and 7, were shot and killed by Israeli forces in the town...
At least 8 students and a health worker reportedly killed in attack on a school compound in Sudan’s White Nile State
NEW YORK (March 12, 2026) – Reported drone attacks struck a secondary school and a primary healthcare center in Shukairi village in White Nile State, Sudan, yesterday morning. At least eight students...
Child casualties rise amidst deepening Middle East conflict
NEW YORK (March 11, 2026) – “Ten days into the intensifying conflict in the Middle East, the situation is becoming catastrophic for millions of children across the region. Since 28 February, more than...
Statement by UNICEF on the killing of a staff member in the Democratic Republic of Congo
NEW YORK (March 11, 2026) – “UNICEF is devastated and outraged that our colleague Karine Buisset was killed in a reported drone strike on a building housing aid workers in Goma, Democratic Republic of...
Afghan children returning from Iran face uncertainty and rising humanitarian needs
NEW YORK (March 10, 2026) – “The impact of escalating conflict in the Middle East is creating immediate risks for children across borders. Right now, in Afghanistan, families are arriving at the Islam...