Press Releases
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...
Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, on the rise in child casualties amid escalating hostilities in Lebanon
NEW YORK (March 9, 2026) – “The continuous escalation of hostilities in Lebanon and the devastating toll it is taking on children are gravely concerning. “According to the latest reports, at least 83...
The brutality of war measured in children’s lives as hostilities escalate in Iran
NEW YORK (March 5, 2026) — “UNICEF is deeply concerned about the deadly impact the ongoing military escalation in Iran is having on children. Approximately 180 children have reportedly been killed and...
Children are bearing the brunt of the escalating violence in Lebanon
NEW YORK (March 4, 2026) — Seven children have been killed and 38 injured in the past 24 hours amid escalating hostilities across Lebanon, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). This high...
Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, Sanjay Wijesekera, on the impact of renewed cross-border hostilities on children in Afghanistan and Pakistan
NEW YORK (March 2, 2026) — “UNICEF is alarmed by reports that children have been killed and injured in the recent escalation of hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan. “While we are working to...