Gaza children starving despite Israeli ‘tactical pauses’, UN says

Gaza children starving despite Israeli ‘tactical pauses’, UN says

Speaking at the regular news briefing in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that even four days into the announced pauses, “we are still seeing casualties among those seeking aid and more deaths due to hunger and malnutrition.” He added that parents are “struggling to save their starving children” and warned that the […]

Cholera outbreak in West and Central Africa poses crisis for children

Cholera outbreak in West and Central Africa poses crisis for children

“The heavy rains, widespread flooding and the high level of displacement are all fuelling the risk of cholera transmission and putting the lives of children at risk,” said UNICEF regional director for West and Central Africa Gilles Fagninou. Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by consuming food or water contaminated with bacteria. The disease […]

Sudan: UNICEF condemns weekend attacks that killed 35 children

Sudan: UNICEF condemns weekend attacks that killed 35 children

At least 24 boys, 11 girls and two pregnant women reportedly were among the victims of the violence, which occurred over the weekend in communities around the city of Bara, including the villages of Shag Alnom and Hilat Hamid.  UNICEF fears that with dozens more injured and many still missing, the number of child casualties […]

First Person: How many more children must die before the world acts?

First Person: How many more children must die before the world acts?

Juliette Touma, the director of communications for the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, has visited Gaza several times during and before the war and has been reflecting on the children she has met there and in other conflict zones. “Adam has been on my mind lately, more so than usual. I met Adam years […]

Gaza: UNICEF mourns seven children killed queuing for water

Gaza: UNICEF mourns seven children killed queuing for water

The incident occurred in central Gaza on Sunday, according to media reports, which said that four other people also lost their lives due to the Israeli airstrike.  The Israeli military said it had been targeting a terrorist but a “technical error” saw the munition stray off course. Uphold protection of children UNICEF Executive Director Catherine […]

Malnutrition crisis deepens for Sudan’s children as war rages on

Malnutrition crisis deepens for Sudan’s children as war rages on

Across the five states that make up Darfur, UNICEF data revealed a 46 per cent increase in the number of children treated for SAM in January to May 2025 compared to the same period last year. The rate of acute malnutrition has surpassed emergency levels set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 9 of […]

DR Congo: New initiative to eliminate HIV in children ‘a beacon of hope’

DR Congo: New initiative to eliminate HIV in children ‘a beacon of hope’

“Our country can no longer tolerate children being born and growing up with HIV, when tools exist to prevent, detect and effectively treat this infection,” President Félix Tshisekedi declared at a recent government conference in the south-eastern Lualaba province, as he launched the five-year initiative. Backed by an initial commitment of $18 million in national […]

‘We are at a point of no return’: grave violations against children surge for third year

‘We are at a point of no return’: grave violations against children surge for third year

This number represents a 25 per cent increase from 2023, marking the third consecutive year that violations have increased. 22,495 violations were committed against children themselves while the remaining targeted infrastructure such as schools and humanitarian aid intended for and used by children. “The cries of 22,495 innocent children who should be learning to read […]

From Himalayan melt to drowning shores, children lead the climate fight

From Himalayan melt to drowning shores, children lead the climate fight

For young people living on the frontlines, climate change disrupts education, health and safety, casting a pall of uncertainty over the future. As countries race to meet climate goals, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is stepping in to ensure that children’s voices are not just heard, but central to shaping solutions. UN News spoke with […]

World News in Brief: Aid for Syria, children under attack in Mozambique, rights-based climate action

World News in Brief: Aid for Syria, children under attack in Mozambique, rights-based climate action

Despite limited resources, the UN and partners are reaching some 2.5 million people each month across the country. In May alone, more than one million people received assistance, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Cross-border aid has significantly increased this year. Since January, 1,185 humanitarian trucks have crossed from Türkiye […]

Four children dead in ‘horrific’ attack on school bus in Baluchistan: UNICEF

Four children dead in ‘horrific’ attack on school bus in Baluchistan: UNICEF

The attack which left others wounded, took place in the district of Khuzdar, about 250 kilometres south of Quetta, Balochistan’s provincial capital. The area has long been troubled by separatist insurgency and militant activity. Deadly journey The school bus, which was reportedly transporting students to a Pakistani military-run school, was completely destroyed in the explosion […]

Gaza: 57 children reported dead from malnutrition, says WHO

Gaza: 57 children reported dead from malnutrition, says WHO

Since the aid blockade began on 2 March, 57 children have reportedly died from the effects of malnutrition, according to the Ministry of Health. If the situation persists, nearly 71,000 children under the age of five are expected to be acutely malnourished over the next 11 months. Briefing journalists in Geneva, WHO’s representative in the […]

Children in Gaza ‘going to bed starving’ amid blockade

Children in Gaza ‘going to bed starving’ amid blockade

“The siege on Gaza is the silent killer of children, of older people,” said Juliette Touma, spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA. “Families – whole families, seven or eight people – are resorting to sharing one can of beans or peas,” she told journalists in Geneva. “Imagine not having anything to feed […]

How the mother’s mood influences her baby’s ability to speak

How the mother’s mood influences her baby’s ability to speak

Up to 70 percent of mothers develop postnatal depressive mood, also known as baby blues, after their baby is born. Analyses show that this can also affect the development of the children themselves and their speech. Until now, however, it was unclear exactly how this impairment manifests itself in early language development in infants. In […]

Voice control smart devices might hinder children’s social, emotional development: Study

Voice control smart devices might hinder children’s social, emotional development: Study

Voice control smart devices, such as Alexa, Siri, and Google Home, might hinder children’s social and emotional development, argues an expert in the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in healthcare, in a viewpoint published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. These devices might have long term effects by impeding children’s critical thinking, […]

Frozen embryo transfers linked with high blood pressure risks in pregnancy; What is sibling comparison?

Frozen embryo transfers linked with high blood pressure risks in pregnancy; What is sibling comparison?

In vitro fertilization (IVF) using frozen embryos may be associated with a 74% higher risk of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, according to new research published today in Hypertension, an American Heart Association journal. In comparison, the study found that pregnancies from fresh embryo transfers – transferring the fertilized egg immediately after in vitro fertilization (IVF) instead of […]