Press Releases
Over 8,000 children in need of humanitarian assistance following the Panama earthquake
NEW YORK (October 12, 2026) - UNICEF estimates that 38,000 people, including 8,300 children, are in need of humanitarian assistance following the earthquake that struck Panama on October 9. The 7.5...
Statement by Etleva Kadilli, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, on the tragic loss of lives, including at least 15 children, after migrant boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti
NEW YORK (October 12, 2026) – “UNICEF is deeply saddened by the deaths of at least 139 people, including 15 children, after a migrant boat capsized off the coast of Djibouti late last week. “The...
UNICEF statement on the earthquake in Panama
NEW YORK, (October 9, 2026) – UNICEF stands in solidarity with the children, adolescents and families affected by the earthquake that struck Panama’s Pacific coast on October 9, 2026. A powerful...
UNICEF Fast Facts: Over 347 million children in nearly 100 countries will be exposed to one of the strongest El Niño events on record
NEW YORK (October 6, 2026) – The 2026-2027 El Niño – a recurring climate pattern that warms parts of the Pacific Ocean and disrupts weather systems worldwide – is forecasted to become one of the...
"Ebola takes the people children depend on and unravels their lives” – UNICEF
NEW YORK (October 6, 2026) – "More than 1,900 children have lost one or both parents or caregivers to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or been separated from them, since the outbreak was...
More than 1,900 children orphaned or separated from their families by Ebola in eastern DR Congo – UNICEF
NEW YORK (October 6, 2026) – More than 1,900 children have lost or been separated from one or both parents or caregivers to Ebola across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since the...
13 children reportedly killed or injured in drone strike on displacement shelter in Al Obeid, Sudan
NEW YORK (October 1, 2026) – A drone strike on the Al Mina Al Bari shelter for internally displaced people in Al Obeid, in Sudan’s North Kordofan State, late last night reportedly killed one boy and...
Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Etleva Kadilli, on the impact on children as fighting intensifies in northern Ethiopia
NEW YORK (October 1, 2026) – “UNICEF is deeply concerned by the escalation of hostilities in northern Ethiopia and the impact on children and their families. “UNICEF is aware of reports of children...
UNICEF Executive Director calls for children to be at the heart of Syria’s recovery
NEW YORK (October 1, 2026) – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell was in Syria for a three-day visit, calling for children to be placed at the center of the country’s recovery as families...
Statement by UNICEF Representative in Somalia Sandra Lattouf, on the impact of the recent outbreak of violence on children in Baidoa, Somalia
NEW YORK (September 30, 2026) – "UNICEF is deeply concerned by reports that children have been killed and injured in recent clashes in Baidoa, South West State of Somalia. Reports also indicate that a...