The report presents a mixed picture. Over the past 25 years, there have been notable improvements in child well-being in the group of countries examined in this report: steady decline in child mortality, overall reduction in adolescent suicide and increase in school completion rates. But the last five years have …
As nearly 1.2 billion schoolchildren remain affected by school closures and as they grapple with the realities of remote learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF warns inherent inequalities in access to tools and technology threaten to deepen the global learning crisis. In 71 countries worldwide, less than …
– UNICEF receives additional US$ 2.6 million funding support from the EU Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) to ensure that children suffering from severe acute malnutrition receive quality care and treatment amidst the Covid-19 pandemic context. The country estimates that the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition will increase by …
International donors are coming together today, convened by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Nations, to raise needed funds for the life-saving humanitarian response in Yemen. More than 130 governments and other donors, international humanitarian organizations and aid officials will meet virtually to raise awareness about the rapidly …
In 2019, the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF and partners worked side by side with children and young people to overcome the obstacles that keep far too many children from reaching their full potential. By the end of 2019, the mid-term mark of …
Directions issued In terms of Regulation 4(3) Of The Regulations made under the Disaster Management Act, 2002 (ACT NO. 57 OF 2002): Regarding the Re-Opening of Schools And Measures to address, prevent and combat the spread of COVID -19 in the National Department of Basic Education, All Provincial Education Departments, …
Investing in human capital—the sum of a population’s health, skills, knowledge, and experience—can strengthen a country’s competitiveness in a rapidly changing world. Building human capital prepares work forces for the more highly skilled jobs of the future, which can drive more sustained growth and transform the trajectory of economies. Analysis …
It is a sad fact that mental illness is the leading cause of disability and poor life outcomes for young people today. The impacts are manifold, affecting the individual, the economy and society more broadly. Of all non-communicable diseases, youth mental health problems present the most serious burden to GDP, …
Global human development -- which can be measured as a combination of the world's education, health and living standards -- could decline this year for the first time since the concept was introduced in 1990, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warned. Declines in fundamental areas of human development are …
A new report from the international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study published by the WHO Regional Office for Europe on the health and social behaviours of schoolchildren aged 11, 13 and 15, from 45 countries, shows that adolescent mental well-being declined in many countries between 2014 and 2018. …
The twin shocks of school closures and global recession due to COVID-19 could have long-term costs to education and development. But, if countries move quickly to support continued learning, they can at least partially mitigate the damage. And with the right planning and policies, they can use the crisis as …
This report presents a snapshot of some of the latest information available on how COVID-19 is affecting the world today. Although a wide range of topics are covered in this report, a consistency of message is clear – this is an unprecedented crisis, and no aspect of our lives is …
While COVID-19 originated as a health emergency, its impact on food security is also providing fertile ground for a protection crisis in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable, especially girls. Rapid needs assessments revealed that food insecurity resulted in heightened protection risks for children, particularly girls, including sexual …
An estimated 19 million children, more than ever before, were living in displacement within their own countries due to conflict and violence in 2019 – some of them for years, UNICEF said in a new report. The report, ‘Lost at Home’, looks at the risks and challenges internally displaced children …
Over the last decade, violent conflicts have surged by two-thirds and displacement is currently at a record high and length – around 71 million people have been forcibly displaced for as long as 20 years on average. In education, a different but equally serious crisis exists. In low- and middle-income …
Today, more children than ever before are displaced within their own countries. At the end of 2019, an estimated 46 million people were internally displaced by conflict and violence. More than 4 in 10, or 19 million, were to be children. This report presents the scale and scope of the …
A new report launched today by Somalia—titled the Somalia Health and Demographic Survey (SHDS) Report 2020—offers the country’s decision makers and stakeholders vital information on the health and lives of Somali women of childbearing ages and children. By turning the voices of Somalis from more than 100,000 urban and rural …
Global school closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic present an unprecedented risk to children’s education, protection and wellbeing. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres recently called on governments and donors to prioritize education for all children, including the most marginalized, and the Global Education Coalition was established to support …
Ongoing efforts to contain an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country have diverted attention and resources from already enfeebled healthcare facilities which are dealing with several deadly endemic diseases. Since early 2019, a measles epidemic – the worst in the world -- has killed more than 5,300 children …
“My Hero is You” is a book written for children around the world affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The book was shared through storytelling to children in several countries affected by COVID-19. Over 1,700 children, parents, caregivers and teachers from around the world took the time to share with us …
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact across the world. Efforts to contain the coronavirus are vital to the health of the world’s population, but they are also exposing children to increased risk of violence – including maltreatment, gender-based violence and sexual exploitation. As leaders of organisations committed to …
