UNICEF News
News from UNICEF, Press releases, News notes, Media advisories, Statements



During concert in Syria, rock sensation Gorillaz visits with young photographers (Jul 31)
DAMASCUS, Syria, 30 July 2010 – There was nothing typical about the visit of Gorillaz –one of the world's biggest rock bands – to Syria, a country that is usually not a top tour priority. But the event was perhaps most unusual for 20 budding photographers from the struggling Damascus refugee community of Bebila.


Calling for accelerated action, UN and Zimbabwe Government launch nutrition survey results (Jul 31)
HARARE, Zimbabwe, 30 July 2010 – The Inclusive Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations and the Zimbabwe Food and Nutrition Council (FNC) have launched new data on the nutritional status of Zimbabwe's children, revealing that more than one third of Zimbabwe's children under the age of five are chronically malnourished and consequently stunted.


Support for Malaysian children affected by HIV and AIDS (Jul 31)
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, 29 July 2010 – Thirteen-year-old Aina (name changed) is determined to be a filmmaker when she grows up. She knows she's talented and isn't too shy to talk about it.


Life in war-torn Yemen slowly returns to normal (Jul 31)
SA'ADA, Yemen, 29 July 2010 – When you walk down the Al-Shara'a Al-A'am main road to the old town of Sa'ada, through the main gate of Bab Al-Yaman and pass by the ancient mosque of Emam Al-Hadi, you are immediately drawn into the past. The town, deeply rooted in history, used to be a beacon of Islamic teaching and a symbol of tolerance. From there you idle through the small but bustling 'souq,' or traditional market, and into the maze of the ancient mud houses where you can literally smell the scent of history.


In Somalia, a Public-Private partnership provides safe water to thousands (Jul 31)
BOROMA, Somalia, 29 July 2010 – Residents of Boroma town in north-west Somalia don't take access to safe water for granted.


Cases of children accused of 'witchcraft' rising in parts of West and Central Africa (Jul 31)
AKWA IBOM STATE, Nigeria, 28 July 2010 – One child is given a slice of mango and is asked to commit murder in return. Another admits to killing 800 people while flying with other witches on a piece of tree bark.


Free, universal health care rolls out for mothers and children in Sierra Leone (Jul 31)
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 28 July 2010 – Early each morning, queues start to form outside the Princess Christian Memorial Hospital in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. Pregnant women, mothers and young children wait patiently. Health-care workers trawl the lines for priority cases that need immediate attention.


Delegation from Nepal sees child-rights initiatives supported by UNICEF in Brazil (Jul 31)
BRASILIA, Brazil, 28 July 2010 – Senior representatives of the Government of Nepal visited Brazil recently to learn about initiatives developed by UNICEF and its partners here. The visit was an example of cooperation between developing countries, in which they share knowledge, experiences and best practices on various aspects of development.


IKEA Social Initiative helps children from nomadic communities in Pakistan (Jul 31)
FAISALABAD, Pakistan, 27 July 2010 – Only a year ago, Nazdana, 8, spent her days picking paper, bottles and metal pieces from the heaps of garbage littered around the city. Today, her world has changed completely. She sits reading from a textbook, dressed in a tidy school uniform, at the Education and Counselling Centre in Ghaziabad –enjoying her newfound freedom from hazardous work.


In the wake of conflict, polio immunization campaign protects children in Krygyzstan (Jul 31)
TOICHEBEK-CHEK, Kyrgyzstan, 27 July 2010 – An outbreak of poliomyelitis in Tajikistan earlier this year is potentially threatening the health of children across the border in southern Kyrgyzstan. In the wake of the ethnic violence that tore through the region in June, communities here are coming together in support of a national immunization campaign to protect children from the deadly disease.