Household cleaning products remain a leading source of child injury: Study

Posted on April 3, 2026 by Sridhar P

Young children in the United States continue to suffer frequent injuries from household cleaning products, with more than 240,000 emergency visits recorded between 2007 and 2022. Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found bleach and detergents as the leading causes, with toddlers aged one to two most at risk. The study highlights ingestion as the most common cause and calls for stronger packaging and safer storage practices.

A toddler reaches for a brightly colored detergent packet on a kitchen counter. It looks like candy. Within minutes, the mistake can send a family rushing to an emergency room.

That pattern has played out thousands of times across the United States over the past decade and a half. A new study from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a pediatric research institution based in Columbus, Ohio, estimates more than 240,800 emergency department visits tied to household cleaning product injuries among children aged five and younger between 2007 and 2022. That translates to one injury every 35 minutes.

The findings, published in the medical journal Pediatrics, draw on 16 years of data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a database maintained by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the federal agency that tracks product-related injuries.

Detergent packets and bleach remain leading causes of child injuries

Among the products linked to injuries, bleach and detergents consistently ranked at the top. Researchers found detergent packets alone accounted for 33 percent of all injuries in the study period.

These single-use packets, introduced widely into the market in 2012, quickly emerged as a major hazard. Injury rates tied to them climbed sharply in the years after their launch, peaking in 2015 before gradually declining. Researchers attribute that drop to safety measures such as child-resistant packaging, opaque containers, and changes to the packet film that make it dissolve more slowly and taste bitter.

Despite those improvements, detergent packets remained the leading cause of detergent-related injuries as recently as 2022, according to the study’s authors.

Bleach-related injuries, by contrast, did not show the same decline. The study found rates remained steady over time, often linked to products stored in spray bottles that are easy for children to access and use.

Spray bottles themselves accounted for 28 percent of all injuries, with many cases involving eye exposure. These incidents frequently resulted in chemical burns, poisoning, or skin and eye irritation conditions such as dermatitis and conjunctivitis.

Nearly one-quarter of spray bottle injuries occurred when another person sprayed the child, suggesting that risk extends beyond direct handling by toddlers.

Toddlers face highest risk as ingestion drives most injuries

Children between the ages of one and two were identified as the most vulnerable group. Researchers linked this to developmental behavior, noting that toddlers often explore objects by putting them in their mouths without understanding danger.

Ingestion emerged as the most common pathway for injury. Poisoning was the leading diagnosis, and nearly all poisoning cases stemmed from children swallowing cleaning products.

The severity of these incidents is reflected in hospitalization rates. The study found that 7 percent of affected children required hospital admission, up from 5.5 percent reported in earlier research by the same group nearly two decades ago.

That increase suggests that while awareness of risks has grown, the consequences of exposure remain significant.

Public concern around the issue appears to mirror the data. In a widely upvoted Reddit discussion on household safety, user “ParentingRealTalk,” writing on Reddit (1,800 upvotes), said, “You think you’ve childproofed everything until something as normal as detergent becomes the danger.”

Researchers call for stronger packaging and safer storage

The study’s authors urged manufacturers and regulators to strengthen packaging standards, particularly for products stored in spray bottles and other easily accessible containers. They emphasized the importance of child-resistant designs as a first line of defense.

Researchers also pointed to gaps in how products are stored and handled in homes. While earlier decades saw a decline in injuries linked to improvised storage such as kitchen containers, spray bottles and original packaging continue to pose risks when left within reach of children.

Safety guidance from the study focuses on simple but consistent practices. Caregivers are advised to store cleaning products out of sight and preferably in locked cabinets, keep items in their original containers, and secure lids immediately after use.

The study also highlights the importance of rapid response. The national Poison Help Line, operated across the United States, remains a critical resource for parents who suspect exposure, even before symptoms appear.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence that everyday household products continue to present a measurable risk to young children, even as safety measures evolve.

For families, the risks often sit in plain sight, in kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. For researchers and policymakers, the challenge remains how to reduce injuries tied to products designed for routine use but capable of causing harm in seconds.

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Routine makes children adjust to school but harsh parenting may undo benefits

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Bharath Panchajanya

Entering elementary school is a big step and it may be a challenging one since a child may become anxious in separation or may not adjust to school life in terms of rules and organization. Nevertheless, according to a group of researchers at Penn State, frequent practices at home were able to lower the chances of a child having difficulty in the school transition.

The researchers discovered in a publication in Developmental Psychology that the stronger the routines of the rural, low-income families, i.e. bedtime, shared meals, the lower the behavior problems and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms of their children reported by their parents. But, the greater the levels of harsh or aggressive parenting, i.e., yelling and threatening by the mother or father, the less the advantages of household structure.

We need routines, and you can not be too strict with them, but that is what co-author Lisa Gatzke-Kopp, a professor and the head of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State, said. I have always said that the two most important things to have in parenting are consistency and flexibility. It can be viewed as a paradox, and such findings suggest the idea that balance actually matters.

Study on 999 Rural Income Families

The authors analyzed data of 999 rural low-income families in North Carolina and Pennsylvania that joined the Family Life Project, the long-lasting research partnership of Penn State, the University of North Carolina and New York University. The subjects in the Family Life Project were enlisted when a child was born in the family and the study ended when the group of children reached the age of 19 years.

The present research utilized data in three waves of statistical data collection, which started in 2007-08 when the research participants were about four years old. These measures were used to record the children in preschool, kindergarten and first grade to record the complete shift to primary school. During every annual evaluation, parents responded to questions concerning family practices, physical parenting, child behavior issues and child ADHD symptoms. The researchers also assessed the capacity of cognitive flexibility of the parents at the beginning of the study, the ability to change the way of thinking to a particular or dynamic situation.

The surveys given to parents to measure harsh parenting also comprised questions on whether they yelled, swore, threw things, stomped out of the room and had engaged in other aggressive behaviors; child behavior problems, which included aggressive, oppositional and rule-breaking behavior; and child ADHD symptoms, which included signs of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Questions concerning family routines on bedtime, frequent family meals and household habits were also answered by parents.

Parents, in families that had a high routine and low harsh parenting levels across the duration of the study, indicated that they had fewer child behavior problems and ADHD symptoms. Within the families in which harsh parenting was less every year, there were less symptoms of child ADHD when parents said that they practiced less harsh parenting.

The researchers attributed the effect of family routines to harsh parenting which neutralized the protective effect of family routines. The level of misbehavior portrayed by children in high levels of routine and harsh parenting households were the same as children in low levels of routine households.

Flexible parenting improves cognitive ability

According to Gatzke-Kopp, a faculty member of the newly formed Penn State Social Science Research Institute who works on the study on a co-funded basis, children are attempting to discover how the world functions. The more stable and encouraging the surrounding is, the less children will experience difficulties in being calm and seeing the way to act in a new environment, such as in school.

To the parents who are interested in introducing some order into a home Gatzke-Kopp suggested a regular bedtime schedule, which may include such relaxing methods as reading to a child. She also cited regular, low-demand, screen-free, family time and shared meals as excellent points to any parent to bring routine in their families.

All the factors that were found in the study had small effects; however, Gatzke-Kopp indicated that this was not surprising.

Gatzke-Kopp said that you cannot presume that in case you make good habits, your child will develop flawless behaviors. Routines and parenting style are not the only things that contribute to behavior problems in your child: there are a lot of factors.

There will be no family that will not encounter some amount of conflict, she said.

Gatzke-Kopp said: “All children are difficult! Negative behaviors should not cause parents to be alarmed that their child is having a problem. And it is not that the parents are not doing something wrong.

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Report calls for AI toy safety standards to protect young children

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

Report calls for AI toy safety standards to protect young children

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Sridhar P

According to a report that cautions against the use of AI-powered talking toys on small children, the toys should be more strictly regulated and have new safety kitemarks, since they are not necessarily intended at children with the safety of their psychology in mind.

The suggestion is found in the first report of AI in the Early Years: a University of Cambridge project and the first systematic study of how Generative AI (GenAI) toys that can have human-like conversation can affect development during critical years of up to age five.

This was a one-year project at the Faculty of Education at the university where formal scientific observations of children at the initial encounter with a GenAI toy were carried out.

The report reflects the perceptions of a few of the early-years practitioners that, over time, these toys would be useful in areas of child development, including language and communication skills. The researchers also discovered, however, that GenAI toys are not good at social and pretend play, do not understand children, and respond in the wrong way to emotions.

As an illustration, if a five-year-old child said to the toy, I love you, it responded, As a friendly reminder, please, make interactions in accordance with the guidelines given. Please tell me what you wish me to do.

Even though genAI toys are highly sold as learning companions or friends, their effect on the development of early years has hardly been examined. The report encourages parents and teachers to be careful. It suggests a more direct regulation, open privacy policy and new labeling norms to allow families to make their own decision about the suitability of toys.

NGOs help conduct studies

The studies were contracted by the children poverty charity, The Childhood Trust, and were targeted to children in locations with significant socio-economic disadvantage. Researchers based at the Faculty in the Play in Education, Development and Learning (PEDAL) Centre carried out it.

Researcher Dr Emily Goodacre, opined: Generative AI toys tend to confirm they are friends with a child who is only beginning to understand the meaning of friendship. They can begin conversing with the toy regarding emotions and requirements, instead of discussing them with an adult. Since these toys might fail to interpret emotions correctly or act in a wrong way, children might be deprived of the comfort provided by the toy – and without the emotional assistance by an adult, either.

The research was maintained in a small scale deliberately to be able to observe the play of children in greater detail and to observe the finer details that would be overlooked in a bigger scale study.

The researchers question early years educators survey to investigate their concerns and attitudes and conducted more detailed focus groups and workshops with early years practitioners and 19 leaders of children charities. They also video-recorded 14 children playing with GenAI soft toy, named Gabbo, in London children centres working with someone called Babyzone, an early years charity. They also interviewed every child and a parent after the play sessions using a drawing activity to facilitate the dialogue.

The majority of parents and educators believed that AI toys may assist in the growth of the communication abilities of children and some parents were eager to learn about their educational possibilities. One of them informed the researchers: “I want to buy it in case it is sold.

There was concern among many about children developing the so-called para-social relationships with toys. The observations proved this: the children hugged and kissed the toy, said that they loved it and – in the case of one of the children – proposed to play hide-and-seek together.

Kid believe toys love them back

Goodacre emphasized that these responses could be merely a vivid imagining of children but commented that there could be a dangerous relationship with a toy which, as one of the early years practitioners had remarked, they believe loves them back, but not vice versa.

The children were also having difficulties with the conversation of the toy. It even disregarded their interruptions, confused the voices of parents with the voice of the child and did not even give the appropriate answers to seemingly significant statements about feelings. A number of children were seen to get frustrated when no one appeared to be listening.

When one of the three year old children said to the toy: I am sad, the toy mishheard, and answered: Don’t worry! I’m a happy little bot. Let’s keep the fun going. What shall we talk about next?” According to researchers, this could have indicated that the sadness of the child was not significant.

The authors discovered that GenAI toys are also not good at social play, playing with many children and/or adults, and pretend play – both of which are important in the early childhood development. In such a way, when a three-year-old child tried to give the toy an imaginary present, the latter reacted by saying: I cannot open the present – and shifted to another topic.

Most parents were concerned about the data that the toy could be capturing and where this could be stored. In choosing a GenAI toy to be used as a research, the researchers discovered that privacy practices of many GenAI toys are not very transparent or that they do not provide crucial information about them.

AI toys increase digital divide

Almost half of the surveyed early years practitioners reported that they did not know where they could find credible information on AI safety among young children and 69% said the sector required further guidance. They also highlighted the issue of protection and affordability with others being worried that AI toys would increase the digital divide.

The authors claim that most of these issues would be resolved by working out clearer regulation. They suggest restricting the distance at which toys can make children befriend or confide in them, more open privacy policies and more restrictive access of third parties to AI models.

One of the recurring themes of the focus groups, the other co-author of the study Professor Jenny Gibson added, was that individuals did not trust tech companies to do the right thing. Clear, forceful, disciplined standards would go a long way in enhancing consumer confidence.

The report recommends that manufacturers should test toys on children and consult experts in safeguarding before launching new toys as well as urging parents to research GenAI toys before purchase.

World News in Brief: Violence, Terror Attacks And Digital Security Dominate Global Concerns At UN

Posted on February 4, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

Rising conflict, humanitarian emergencies and growing concerns over critical digital infrastructure dominated recent discussions involving United Nations agencies and global leaders, with crises unfolding from South Sudan to Pakistan and new efforts launched to safeguard global communications networks.

Fighting In South Sudan Displaces Thousands

Renewed violence in South Sudan’s Jonglei state has triggered a large-scale humanitarian crisis, forcing at least 250,000 people to flee their homes since the beginning of 2026.

The clashes, concentrated in northern and central parts of the state, have left families cut off from basic services in regions already struggling with some of the country’s worst malnutrition rates.

UNICEF warned that the situation poses a grave threat to children, many of whom are already suffering from severe food shortages.

“We are extremely concerned for women and children impacted by these violent clashes,” said UNICEF’s country representative in South Sudan, Noala Skinner. “A malnourished child without treatment is 12 times more likely to die.”

Humanitarian agencies face major obstacles in reaching affected communities. Movement by road, river and air remains heavily restricted, making it difficult to deliver emergency assistance.

Several areas are running dangerously low on therapeutic food used to treat severely malnourished children. Six counties in Jonglei are close to exhausting these supplies.

Across the country, at least 17 health facilities have been forced to shut down due to insecurity, further weakening an already fragile healthcare system.

UNICEF has also reported ten incidents in which health and nutrition supplies were looted.

Despite the challenges, aid workers continue to deliver support where possible. The organisation has sent water purification equipment to prevent potential cholera outbreaks and delivered malaria treatment kits, emergency medical supplies and therapeutic food intended to reach more than 10,000 people.

UN Condemns Deadly Attacks In Pakistan

Meanwhile, the United Nations has strongly condemned a series of violent attacks in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan that left dozens of people dead, including children.

UNICEF expressed deep concern after reports confirmed that children were among those killed or injured during the attacks last weekend.

“Children cannot be targets nor collateral damage, and their lives must always be protected,” said UNICEF representative in Pakistan Pernille Ironside.

She extended condolences to the victims’ families and warned that escalating violence is creating fear and insecurity among communities.

The attacks took place on January 31 and were later condemned by the UN Security Council.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, council members described the violence as “heinous and cowardly” acts of terrorism that resulted in the deaths of 48 people, including 31 civilians.

Among the civilian victims were five women and three children.

Authorities say the attacks were claimed by the Balochistan Liberation Army, a separatist militant group. Local officials later told reporters that security forces killed 145 members of the banned organisation in subsequent operations.

The Security Council expressed its deepest sympathy to the victims’ families and to the government and people of Pakistan, while wishing those injured a full recovery.

Global Summit Focuses On Submarine Cable Security

In a separate development, governments and industry representatives from more than 70 countries gathered in Porto, Portugal, to address growing concerns over the security and resilience of submarine communication cables.

These undersea cables carry the majority of the world’s digital traffic and form the backbone of global internet connectivity.

During the International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit 2026, participants adopted a declaration aimed at strengthening international cooperation to protect the network.

Today roughly 500 submarine cables stretch across more than 1.7 million kilometres of ocean floor, linking continents and supporting the global digital economy.

ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said safeguarding these systems is a shared responsibility.

“When it comes to critical digital infrastructure like submarine cables, resilience is both an end-to-end imperative and a shared responsibility,” she said.

Participants also discussed ways to improve repair times, strengthen monitoring systems and increase investment in infrastructure protection.

Protecting Connectivity For Vulnerable Regions

Experts at the summit warned that cable disruptions can have serious consequences, particularly for smaller countries and remote island communities that rely on only a few connections to the global network.

Sandra Maximiano, chairwoman of Portugal’s telecommunications regulator ANACOM, said international cooperation would be key to reducing the risks.

“I firmly believe the advisory body is already delivering concrete and meaningful impact,” she said, pointing to ongoing efforts to improve preparedness and response capabilities.

The Porto meeting followed the first global summit on submarine cable resilience held in Abuja, Nigeria, as governments and technology leaders seek stronger collaboration to protect one of the world’s most critical digital systems.

‘We children saw things that no one should ever have to see’: Holocaust survivor at UN

Posted on January 29, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

A Holocaust survivor delivered a powerful reminder of the horrors of the Nazi era and the importance of compassion during a commemorative event at the United Nations, urging people across the world to stand against hatred and discrimination.

Marion Blumenthal Lazan, speaking in the UN General Assembly Hall alongside one of her great-grandchildren, recounted her family’s journey from a peaceful life in Germany to years of suffering in Nazi detention camps. Her testimony formed part of the UN’s observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

Reflecting on her experience, Lazan said that even in the darkest moments, individuals still retain the power to choose how they treat others.

“How we treat, behave, and reach out to one another, that is entirely up to us,” she told the audience.

Childhood Disrupted By Anti-Jewish Laws

Lazan described how her family once lived comfortably in Hoya, a small town in northwestern Germany during the early 1930s.

Their lives changed dramatically after the Nazi government introduced the Nuremberg Laws in 1935, which stripped Jewish citizens of many basic rights. The rising persecution forced her parents to plan their departure from Germany.

The situation worsened during the violent anti-Jewish attacks of Kristallnacht in November 1938. Their home was ransacked and her father was arrested and sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp.

He was released after several weeks only because the family had secured documents allowing them to emigrate to the United States.

Trapped In Nazi-Controlled Europe

In January 1939, the family left Germany for the Netherlands, hoping to continue their journey to America. Instead, their plans were shattered when Nazi Germany invaded the country in 1940.

They were sent to the Westerbork detention camp, where thousands of Jews were held while awaiting deportation.

Initially the conditions were relatively tolerable under Dutch administration. But once the Nazis took control, the camp became a transit point for deportations to extermination camps across eastern Europe.

Every week, lists were posted announcing the names of prisoners scheduled for transport. The announcements created constant fear among detainees, as families waited anxiously to see whether their names would appear.

Of the roughly 120,000 people deported from Westerbork, more than 100,000 never returned.

Life Inside Bergen-Belsen

In January 1944, Lazan and her family were deported to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany.

She recalled arriving on a freezing winter night as a nine-year-old child, frightened by armed guards and aggressive dogs.

Hundreds of prisoners were crammed into wooden barracks designed for far fewer people. The buildings lacked heating and offered little protection against the harsh German winter.

Prisoners slept in crowded bunk beds with only a thin blanket for warmth. Food was scarce, often limited to a small portion of bread and watery soup.

The camp’s unsanitary conditions were overwhelming. Toilets offered no privacy, and there was almost no access to soap or clean water.

Bodies of those who died from disease, starvation and exhaustion were often left for long periods before they could be removed.

Lazan recalled the constant fear that dominated daily life, describing it as the most difficult emotion to endure.

Survival Through Family Strength

Throughout the ordeal, Lazan credited her survival largely to the strength and determination of her mother.

In one dangerous incident, her mother secretly brought potatoes and salt from the camp kitchen to cook a small pot of soup. When guards unexpectedly entered the barracks, the boiling soup spilled onto Lazan’s leg.

Despite the pain, the young girl remained silent because crying out could have led to severe punishment or death.

Shortly before the end of the war, prisoners from Bergen-Belsen were transported east by train toward other camps. The journey lasted two weeks without adequate food, water or medical care.

The train was eventually liberated by Soviet forces near the German village of Troibitz.

Out of the 2,500 people on board, around 500 died during the journey or soon after liberation.

Lazan herself weighed only 16 kilograms at the time. Many survivors were suffering from disease, including typhus, which later claimed the life of her father weeks after their liberation.

A New Beginning In The United States

In 1948, Lazan, her mother and brother emigrated to the United States, arriving in Hoboken, New Jersey exactly three years after their liberation.

With help from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the family settled in Peoria, Illinois and began rebuilding their lives.

Because she could not speak English, Lazan was placed in a fourth-grade classroom despite being 13 years old. She and her brother worked after school to help support their family.

Through determination and hard work, she graduated from Peoria Central High School five years later, ranking eighth in a class of 267 students.

Soon afterward she married Nathaniel Lazan and went on to build a large family.

Today she has three children, nine grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren, a legacy she describes as proof of survival and continuity.

A Call To Confront Hatred

During her address, Lazan also displayed the yellow star that Jews were forced to wear under Nazi rule, a symbol used to isolate and stigmatize them.

She urged people everywhere to reject hatred and discrimination in all forms.

“We can begin by having love, respect and compassion toward one another, regardless of religion, skin colour or national origin,” she said.

Although the world continues to face division and conflict, Lazan said individuals still have the power to choose kindness and understanding.

Her message, delivered decades after surviving one of history’s darkest chapters, was simple yet urgent: the responsibility to prevent hatred and violence lies with every generation.

From deepfakes to grooming: UN Warns Of Rising Online Threats To Children As AI Expands Digital Risks

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Arun Kumar N

The rapid spread of artificial intelligence is creating new dangers for children online, prompting the United Nations and child protection groups to call for stronger safeguards and global action.

Experts warn that digital technologies are increasingly being used to target minors through harassment, exploitation and manipulation, with the risks intensifying as AI tools become more sophisticated.

Cosmas Zavazava, Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said children today face a wide range of online threats.

These include grooming by predators, cyberbullying, exposure to harmful content and the growing misuse of technologies such as deepfakes.

“We saw that during the COVID-19 pandemic many children, particularly girls and young women, were abused online and, in many cases, that translated into physical harm,” he said.

AI Tools Creating New Forms Of Abuse

Child protection organisations say artificial intelligence is making it easier for offenders to target and manipulate children.

Predators can use AI systems to analyse a child’s online activity, emotional state and personal interests, allowing them to tailor grooming strategies more effectively.

Another growing concern involves the creation of explicit fake images using AI technology. These manipulated images can be used for blackmail or sexual extortion.

A report released in 2025 by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute highlighted the scale of the problem. It found that technology-facilitated child abuse cases in the United States rose dramatically, increasing from around 4,700 incidents in 2023 to more than 67,000 in 2024.

Governments Begin Introducing Restrictions

As awareness of these risks grows, some governments are introducing stricter regulations to protect young users online.

Australia became the first country to prohibit children under the age of 16 from having social media accounts at the end of 2025. Authorities said the decision was based on evidence that online platforms expose children to harmful material and harassment.

A government study cited in the decision found that nearly two-thirds of children aged between 10 and 15 had encountered violent, hateful or distressing content online. More than half reported experiencing cyberbullying, most of it on social media platforms.

Several other countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Malaysia, are considering similar measures or drafting new legislation to limit children’s exposure to online risks.

Young adults check social media in North Macedonia /UN

Lack Of AI Awareness A Major Concern

In January 2026, several UN agencies released a joint statement warning that societies remain poorly prepared to address the impact of artificial intelligence on children.

The statement emphasised widespread “AI illiteracy” among children, parents, teachers and caregivers, as well as limited understanding among policymakers about how AI systems function.

The document also noted that many governments lack the technical expertise needed to regulate emerging technologies effectively, including frameworks for data protection and assessments of how digital tools affect children’s rights.

Pressure On Technology Companies

UN officials say technology companies also bear significant responsibility for protecting young users.

Many of the AI tools currently being developed, along with the systems that power them, were not originally designed with children’s safety in mind.

Zavazava said the UN is urging the private sector to work more closely with international organisations and governments to reduce risks.

“We are really concerned and we would like the private sector to be involved, to engage and to be part of the story we are writing together,” he said.

He added that responsible use of AI does not necessarily conflict with business interests.

“With responsible deployment of AI, you can still make a profit, you can still do business and gain market share,” he said.

Protecting Children’s Rights In The Digital Age

The UN says protecting children online is fundamentally a human rights issue.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, one of the most widely ratified human rights treaties in the world, was updated in 2021 to address challenges emerging from the digital environment.

However, UN agencies believe additional guidance is needed to help governments respond to rapidly evolving technologies.

New child online protection guidelines have therefore been developed to support different groups involved in safeguarding children.

The recommendations provide guidance for parents, teachers, regulators and the technology industry on how to create safer digital environments.

“Children are getting online at a younger age, and they should be protected,” Zavazava said.

UN officials stress that while technology can be a powerful tool for learning and communication, ensuring children’s safety will require coordinated action from governments, companies, educators and families alike.

Sudan: As children continue to suffer, school remains a distant hope

Posted on September 12, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

After more than two years of civil war, more than 25 million people are now acutely hungry and at least 20 million require health services urgently.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) also warned that displaced families in some areas have not received any aid for three months, as it announced that for the first time, funding shortfalls have forced it to pull back support in areas where it does not have access.

“The scale of needs in Sudan are so big that we have to make tough decisions on who receives assistance and who doesn’t. Those are heartbreaking decisions to make,” said WFP’s Leni Kinzli, in an urgent appeal for more international funding to help all those affected by more than two years of war.

Children are especially vulnerable, humanitarians have warned, with malnutrition “surging”, particularly among youngsters and their mothers.

Education the latest victim

According to the UN reproductive health agency UNFPA, and partners working in education, around 13 million of the 17 million youngsters who have remained in Sudan are now out of school.

This includes seven million who are enrolled but unable to attend classes because of the conflict or displacement – plus six million school-age children who haven’t registered for the school year.

Nonetheless, UNFPA said that as of this month, 45 per cent of schools in Sudan – nearly 9,000 – have now re-opened, citing the Global Education Cluster that groups 60 UN and NGO entities.

And while the situation in Sudan remains so dire, going back to school might not appear to be a priority, but aid agencies insist that without it the impact on young lives can be devastating, given how much additional support can be provided in schools, over and above learning.

In schools helped to reopen by UN-partner Save The Children, for instance, additional support includes meals, safe water, sanitation and counselling training for teachers to help youngsters process their trauma.

Picking up the pieces

From November 2024 to July this year, more than two million people have returned to their former homes across Sudan, to some 1,611 locations.

The bulk of these returnees have reached Aj Jazirah (48 per cent), Khartoum (30 per cent), Sennar (nine per cent), Blue Nile (seven per cent) and White Nile (five per cent). The UN migration agency (IOM)’s Displacement Tracking Matrix notes that only around one per cent went to River Nile and West Darfur.

A breakdown of IOM data indicates that around 77 per cent (or 1.5 million) returned from temporary homes inside Sudan, while 23 per cent (around 455,000) came back from abroad.

This is a fraction of the more than 4.2 million refugees who crossed into neighbouring countries since war erupted on 15 April 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Other key IOM findings of Sudanese displacement impacting all 18 states:

When war erupted, people were uprooted primarily from Khartoum (31 per cent), South Darfur (21 per cent), and North Darfur (20 per cent).
The highest proportion of internally displaced people were in South Darfur (19 per cent), North Darfur (18 per cent), and Central Darfur (10 per cent).
Over half (53 per cent) of those fleeing violence were reportedly children.

Case study: Life slipping away

Among the young victims of the conflict, 18-month-old Aysha Jebrellah has been admitted for treatment for severe acute malnutrition in Port Sudan Paediatric Hospital.

Her mother, Aziza, has been by her daughter’s side as medical teams provide lifesaving nutritional support and address the medical complications that Aysha has suffered, linked to her condition.

Aziza was displaced with her family from Khartoum when conflict erupted more than two years ago, fleeing first to Kassala, then moving to Port Sudan where she lives with relatives.

She described how her daughter had diarrhoea and fever for about two weeks before she was admitted to hospital. By that time she had stopped eating and appeared to be slipping away before their eyes.

“When she refused to even taste anything and kept getting weaker, I was afraid I would lose her,” Aziza says. “Now I have hope that she will recover.”

To support health needs in Sudan, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s $135 million appeal is just one-fifth funded. “It’s only a fraction of what is urgently needed,” the agency said.

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80 million more children benefiting from school meals, WFP reports

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

The number of children receiving school meals through government-led programmes has gone up by 20 per cent since 2020, found the latest edition of the WFP’s flagship biennial report The State of School Feeding Worldwide.

Now, nearly 80 million more children are able to enjoy nutritious meals at school, bringing the global total to approximately 466 million.

Beyond health and diet, national programmes can benefit employment, agriculture, and other sectors.

“School meals are so much more than just a plate of nutritious food – important as that is. For the vulnerable children who receive them, they are a pathway out of poverty and into a new world of learning and opportunity,” said Ms. McCain.

“They are proven to be one of the smartest, most cost-effective investments any nation can make to improve the long-term health, education and economic prosperity of future generations,” she added.

Example of what’s possible

The increase in the number of children receiving school meals comes thanks to the expansion of these programmes internationally, and especially by countries that are part of the School Meals Coalition, a network led by over 100 governments with the WFP as its secretariat.

Global funding for school meals has more than doubled, rising from $43 billion in 2020 to $84 billion last year. Africa is leading the surge with an additional 20 million children in the continent now fed through national programmes but domestic funding still remains lower in low-income countries.

“The surge in nationally funded school meal programmes is a powerful sign of what’s possible, even in challenging times. But in low-income countries, where needs are greatest, progress remains at risk as global aid shifts and domestic resources fall short,” said Carmen Burbano, director of school meals at WFP.

Meals improve learning outcomes

Children who are hungry might not attend school or could struggle to focus even if they do, according to the report. Providing meals at school can both incentivize attendance and help students stay engaged and more easily absorb educational material.

The report found that school meals are a significantly more effective way to improve the quality of education compared to other popular programmes and policies like teacher training and tech inputs.

A nutritious diet has also been associated with an increased attention span, higher cognitive function and better attendance.

“It’s only now that we’re really recognizing that the wellbeing of school children and adolescents is key to their learning ability,” said Professor Donald Bundy, co-editorial lead for the report, at a press briefing on Wednesday.

A catalyst for the economy

The report estimates that delivering school meals to 466 million children generates around 7.4 million cooking jobs globally, with further employment across logistics, farming, and supply chains.

On a national level, school meal programmes typically generate approximately 1,500 jobs for every 100,000 children.

Preliminary findings in some African countries suggest that the programmes are cost-beneficial in terms of the gains obtained in the education, health and nutrition sectors. In Malawi, for example, every $1 invested brought economic benefits ranging to $2 to $18 depending on the district.

Local procurement of school food can also create reliable and predictable markets for smallholders and family farmers, which ultimately encourages crop diversification, boosts rural economies, and fosters sustainable agricultural practices.

Funding cuts could push 6 million more children out of school, warns UNICEF

Posted on September 3, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Official Development Assistance (ODA) for education is projected to fall by $3.2 billion – a 24 per cent drop from 2023 – with just three donor governments accounting for nearly 80 per cent of the cuts.

Such a decline would push the number of out-of-school children worldwide from 272 million to 278 million, UNICEF said – the equivalent of shutting every primary school in Germany and Italy combined.

“Every dollar cut from education is not just a budgetary decision, it’s a child’s future hanging in the balance,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.

Children in crisis hit hardest

The heaviest impact is expected in regions that are already vulnerable. West and Central Africa could see 1.9 million children lose access to school, while 1.4 million more could be pushed out across the Middle East and North Africa.

In total, 28 countries stand to lose at least a quarter of the education aid they rely on. Côte d’Ivoire and Mali face some of the steepest risks, with enrolment projected to fall by 340,000 and 180,000 students respectively.

Primary education will be hit hardest, with funding expected to drop by one-third. UNICEF warns this could deepen the global learning crisis and cost those children affected an estimated $164 billion in lost lifetime earnings.

In humanitarian contexts, the cuts could be devastating. In the Rohingya refugee response, 350,000 children risk losing access to basic schooling permanently.

Displaced children in a classroom in Baghdad, Iraq.

Call to protect education

The crisis will also threaten vital services. School feeding programmes – sometimes a child’s only reliable meal – could see funding halved, while support for girls’ education is likely to shrink. At least 290 million children who remain in classrooms could also face a decline in learning quality.

UNICEF is calling on donors to direct at least half of all education aid to least developed countries, safeguard humanitarian funding, and prioritise early years and primary schooling. It also urges reforms to make financing more efficient and sustainable.

“Education, especially in emergency settings, often serves as a lifeline,” Ms Russell said. “Investing in children’s education is one of the best investments in the future – for everyone.”

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Ukraine: Toddler among four children killed in Russia’s attacks on Kyiv

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

The youngest victim of the bombing raid was two-and-a-half years old, according to the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, which released video footage showing smoke billowing from a Kyiv apartment block with a massive hole where its roof had been.

Leading condemnation of the attacks, the UN Secretary-General said that targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure violated international humanitarian law. [They] are “unacceptable and must end immediately”, followed by a ceasefire resulting in a “just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace in Ukraine”, he insisted, in a statement issued by his Spokesperson.

Eyewitness testimony

Speaking to UN News after visiting the shattered building and its residents, UNICEF Representative, Munir Mammadzade, insisted that nowhere in Ukraine is safe today. The air-raid alert in Kyiv lasted almost 12 hours, he noted.

The senior UN official also condemned the “continuous attacks” reportedly involving ballistic missiles and drones by Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

“I’m just back from one of the sites that were impacted, severely…and still, the search and rescue operation is continuing,” he said. “Across the city, there were four kids confirmed killed and more than 10 injured; most likely these numbers will go up.”

Media reports indicated further damage to civilian infrastructure including Ukraine’s railways. Russian attacks have also continued closer to the front line, targeting key energy infrastructure ahead of winter, Mr. Mammadzade warned.

Winter is main threat

In Kyiv and in frontline areas, plummeting temperatures are “the biggest challenge”, the UNICEF senior official insisted, in an appeal to donors and partners to support the UN agency’s winterization plan by contributing more to its Ukraine humanitarian fund, which faces a 40 per cent funding shortfall.

People within 10 kilometres (around six miles) of the front line “require immediate support”, the UNICEF official said, so that “families and children can survive and most importantly, have their livelihoods protected”.

Back to school

The development comes as the country’s children prepare to return to school against a backdrop of ever-present air-raid sirens that are “becoming kind of a norm”, even if the impact of the war on many youngsters’ mental health is as serious as it is common.

“We know that even if war ends today, [it] will be for generations to come,” Mr. Mammadzade explained, pointing to sudden mood swings linked to post-traumatic stress and feelings of hopelessness among children he has met in frontline areas including Donetsk, Sumy and Kharkiv.

“What they basically fear the most is about their lives and unfortunately, quite often, they mention to us that they don’t have dreams or any hopes,” he continued. “What they only need is peace – and this peace to happen as soon as possible – so that they can go back to normalcy.”

In his renewed call for a ceasefire, the Secretary-General insisted that it should fully uphold Ukraine’s “sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognized borders, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions”.

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Latin America and Caribbean: Millions more children could face poverty due to climate change

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Even worse, the number could triple if countries do not meet their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to ensure that climate financing prioritises social and climate resilience services for children.

The finding comes in a report by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), published on Thursday in Panama.

Bearing the brunt

The report examines the potential effects of extreme weather events on increasing poverty levels among children and youth, along with national efforts to reduce GHG emissions as well as strategies to adapt and reduce losses and damage caused by climate change.

The 5.9 million figure represents the most optimistic scenario. However, if governments are slow in implementing actions to address mitigation and adaptation, as well as loss and damage, the number could reach 17.9 million.

Roberto Benes, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, said that children and adolescents bear the greatest burden of climate change.

Their developing bodies are more vulnerable to cyclones, heatwaves and other extreme phenomena which at the same time disrupt their families’ livelihoods and their education.

“If children and young people don’t have the resources to meet their basic needs and develop their potential, and if adequate social protection systems are not in place, the region’s inequalities will only be perpetuated,” he said.

Protect children and youth

Yet despite their vulnerability, climate finance does not prioritise the resilient services for health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation that children and young people need, to ensure their optimal cognitive and physical development.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, only 3.4 per cent of all multilateral climate finance is dedicated to children, according to the report. This is happening at a time of funding cuts and reduced development aid amid unprecedented needs.

The report recommends that regional governments take action, including by strengthening the climate resilience of social services and critical infrastructure to better protect children and youth, with a particular focus on the first 1,000 days of life.

Authorities are urged to increase child-sensitive climate policy financing, with actions that specifically target the needs of children at different ages.

They also must promote greater climate awareness, education, empowerment and participation of children and youth. Additionally, environmental and climate education should be included in school curricula and educational programmes.

The report further recommends that countries promote adaptive social protection and emergency response policies that account for the specific needs of children and adolescents.

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Sudan: ‘Devastating tragedy’ for children in El Fasher after 500 days of siege

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Around 260,000 civilians – including 130,000 children – remain trapped in the area’s main camp for internally displaced people, enduring desperate conditions without aid for more than 16 months.

The Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which has been battling forces of the military government for control of Sudan for over two years, has cut off all supply lines.

RSF militia have been besieging the city since May last year and it is the last urban area still under government control.

“We are witnessing a devastating tragedy – children in Al Fasher are starving while UNICEF’s lifesaving nutrition services are being blocked,” said Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director.

Deadly violence

Reports this week point to yet another mass-casualty incident, with seven children reportedly killed in an attack on Abu Shouk camp for internally displaced people, on the outskirts of El Fasher.

Since the start of the siege in May 2024, more than 1,100 grave violations have been verified in El Fasher alone, including the killing and maiming of over 1,000 children.

Meanwhile, at least 23 children have been subjected to rape, gang rape, or sexual abuse. Others have been abducted, recruited, or used by armed groups, said UNICEF.

Health and education facilities have also come under sustained attack, with 35 hospitals and six schools struck, killing and injuring many, including children.

Aid blocked

Meanwhile, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) warned Wednesday that the already dire situation in North Darfur continues to worsen.

“Blocking humanitarian access is a grave violation of children’s rights, and the lives of children are hanging in the balance,” Ms. Russell said, reiterating UNICEF’s call for immediate and full access to El Fasher.

The toll on children is catastrophic, the agency suspension of medical services due to depleted supplies has left an estimated 6,000 children suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) without treatment, UNICEF said.

Without therapeutic food and medical care, these children face an extremely high risk of death. News reports indicate at least 63 people, mostly women and children, died of malnutrition in just a single week.

UNICEF continues to call for unimpeded humanitarian access for the delivery of therapeutic food, medicines, clean water, and other essentials.

Cholera outbreak

The siege is colliding with Sudan’s worst cholera outbreak in decades. More than 2,400 deaths have been reported since July 2024.

In overcrowded camps around Tawila, Zamzam and El Fasher, children weakened by hunger are now especially vulnerable to cholera and other deadly waterborne diseases.

“Children must be protected at all times, and they must have access to life-saving aid,” said Ms Russell.

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Malnutrition deaths mark ‘latest in the war on children’ in Gaza: UNRWA chief

Posted on August 14, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

These young deaths are “the latest in the war on children and childhood in Gaza,” Philippe Lazzarini, head of UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA, said in a tweet on Wednesday.

The toll also includes some 40,00 boys and girls reported killed or injured due to bombardment and airstrikes, at least 17,000 unaccompanied and separated children, and one million deeply traumatised youngsters who are not getting an education.

“Children are children,” he said.

“No one should stay silent when children die, or are brutally deprived of a future, wherever these children are, including in Gaza.”

A sombre reunion

Thousands of sick children in Gaza need urgent medical evacuation, according to UN aid coordination office OCHA.

Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the agency, recalled the moment she recognized a young girl requiring treatment in a Gaza hospital after a year’s interval, once again suffering from malnourishment.

“I remembered her long eyelashes,” the veteran humanitarian told UN News, describing seven-year-old Janah, who she came across at Gaza City’s Patient Friendly Hospital on Tuesday.

“The first time I met her was in the IMC Field Hospital in southern Gaza in April 2024. Back then, she was severely malnourished and was getting treatment. And she gradually became better and was released eventually and went home.”

Seven-year-old Janah is treated at Gaza City’s Patient Friendly Hospital.

Evacuation saves lives

However, Janah was now back in hospital “because the malnutrition became aggravated and the condition that she has also is not properly diagnosed and cannot be properly diagnosed.”

The girl is on a list of people to be medically evacuated for treatment outside Gaza. The most recent evacuations took place last week when the World Health Organization (WHO) supported the transfer of 15 critically ill children to Jordan, but more than 14,800 people are still waiting.

Ms. Cherevko stressed the importance of ensuring that evacuations continue to save as many lives as possible.

More aid needed

She also pointed out that for children and adults with pre-existing conditions, their situation becomes worse with malnutrition.

“It wouldn’t be this way if they had proper nutrition, because these conditions existed before the starvation crisis and they weren’t getting as sick as they are now,” she said.

“This is why it’s imperative to make sure that we have proper conditions on the ground for adequate volumes of supplies to be entering – everything from food to medicine to nutrition to shelter,” she continued.

“And these lifelines have to be really enabled for us to be able to deliver this aid to the people in need.”

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Syria: UNICEF calls for safe access to children in Sweida as needs mount

Posted on August 13, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

Deadly sectarian clashes erupted in the southern governorate, also known as As-Sweida, in July and early August and children and families continue to feel the impact.

At least 22 children reportedly were killed and another 21 injured in the violence, which caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure. More than 190,000 people, mainly women and children, were forced to flee their homes.

Essential services also were disrupted. At least five health centres were reportedly struck, with two doctors killed, while ambulances were obstructed or attacked.

‘A welcome step’

UNICEF Syria Deputy Representative Zeinab Adam described the situation as “tragic and deeply alarming.”

“Given the ongoing needs of children and families affected, the increased efforts by the interim authorities to facilitate access to those in need have been a welcome step,” she said.

UNICEF was part of the UN’s first inter-agency convoy to Sweida which arrived at the end of July.

Ms. Adam said the agency “delivered life-saving supplies and carried out a rapid on-the-ground assessment to ensure a faster, stronger response to the growing crisis.” said.

Food and medicine shortages

The fighting caused critical damage to vital infrastructure, water, electricity and fuel. Furthermore, food, medicine and other essentials remain scarce due to continued insecurity and access constraints.

In response, UNICEF has deployed 14 mobile health and nutrition teams. Teams have also provided life-saving health and nutrition supplies to more than 4,000 children and women, as well as safe drinking water and fuel for water pumping stations benefiting more than 30,000 people.

Appeal for access

“To ensure an effective response, it is critical that both humanitarian actors and commercial goods have unhindered access to the most affected communities,” said Ms. Adam.

“This will enable the immediate provision of basic social services, including food, water, and other essential supplies, to those in urgent need.”

She added that “facilitating this access is not only vital for life-saving interventions but also for restoring a minimum level of stability and protection in these communities.”

Meanwhile, UNICEF remains on the ground in Sweida and will continue to advocate for children there and across Syria.

Gaza: Acute malnutrition among children hits record high

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

In July alone, nearly 12,000 children under five were identified as acutely malnourished out of 136,000 screened, according to aid partners.

Of these, more than 2,500 were found to suffer from severe acute malnutrition, the most life-threatening form, and 40 had to be hospitalized in stabilisation centres.

More children affected

The proportion of children with severe acute malnutrition is rising, OCHA said.

In June and July, 18 per cent of all acutely malnourished children had severe acute malnutrition, compared with 12 per cent between March and May.

Moreover, humanitarian access constraints are adding to the crisis.

Last month, aid partners were only able to reach 8,700 of the 290,000 children under five who require feeding and nutrition supplements due to the severe shortage of lipid-based nutrient supplements entering Gaza.

OCHA said the development “marks a dramatic collapse in the malnutrition prevention programme”, noting that an average of 76,000 children – or a quarter of those in need – were reached each month between April and June.

Distribution of other key nutrition supplies has also declined sharply, which is affecting children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.

Shelter crisis worsens

Meanwhile, no shelter materials have entered Gaza since 2 March.

At the same time, more than one million shelter items, and 2.3 million items such as tents, tarps, and sealing-off materials, have been procured and are currently stuck in Jordan and Egypt as the Israeli authorities have not approved their entry.

The shelter crisis continues to worsen, with most families living in severely overcrowded and unsafe conditions. Some have no shelter at all. 

In July, humanitarians assessed 44 displacement sites, discovering that 43 had families with no shelter.

A family rests after evacuating from Deir Al-Balah in the Gaza Strip. (file)

Bombardment and displacement continue

The situation is further deteriorating due to ongoing bombardment, displacement orders and insecurity, which continue to displace families and disrupt humanitarian operations.

OCHA reported that overall, realities on the ground remain largely the same since Israel announced a “tactical pause” in military operations to allow the safe passage of aid.

The UN agency reiterated that supplies that have entered remain insufficient given the immense needs, while UN convoys continue to face challenges in delivering aid.

Aid missions taking hours

While fewer humanitarian movements have been denied outright, missions that are approved still take hours to complete, with some taking more than 18 hours.

On Wednesday, five out of 11 missions requiring coordination with the Israel authorities were facilitated. These included collecting food from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings.

Another four missions were impeded but eventually fully completed, which included the collection of fuel from Kerem Shalom crossing and transfer of fuel from southern Gaza to the north. 

Medical evacuation update

One of the missions saw the medical evacuation of 15 children to Jordan, and 42 companions, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO). However, more than 14,800 patients in Gaza still urgently need specialized medical care.

OCHA also reported on the flow of commercial goods into the Strip, noting that several trucks carrying food items have been entering over the past days.

While the UN will continue to monitor the situation, humanitarians again stressed the need for unimpeded and predictable humanitarian access into and within Gaza, warning that “without it, time and resources are wasted, lives are lost, and the response cannot match the scale of the needs.”

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Children are ‘skin and bones’ as Sudan marks a grim milestone

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

It is a grim milestone for Sudan, the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. But with insufficient funding, lack of access to key regions and intensifying violence, milestones like this have become the grim norm.

“This is not hypothetical. It is a looming catastrophe,” said Sheldon Yett, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) representative in Sudan.

And it is a catastrophe that is unduly affecting women and children, many of whom have been displaced multiple times and lack access to even the most basic of services such as clean water, food and protection.

“Every day the conflict continues in Sudan, innocent lives are lost, communities are torn apart and trauma continues to haunt generations,” said Radhouane Nouicer, the UN’s designated expert on human rights in Sudan.

Emotional scar tissue

Children in Sudan are among those most affected by the crisis – 3.2 million children under five are projected to suffer from acute malnutrition in the next year.

On a recent trip Jebel Aulia, a locality in Khartoum state which is at extreme risk of famine, Mr. Yett was horrified by what he saw.

“Many of the children are reduced to just skin and bones,” Mr. Yett said.

However, these children are not only contending with malnutrition – some of them have also been displaced four or five times, and over three-quarters of Sudanese children are out of school.

“The emotional scar tissue is massive – children don’t know where they are going next … often feeling like aliens in their own land,” Mr. Yett said.

He spoke with one mother in Jebel Aulia whose daughter may be forever changed by the violence.

“Since the war started, my daughter has fallen into a state of silence, and I can feel her heart racing with fear,” one mother said.

A gendered crisis

Around Sudan, as the food insecurity crisis spirals, women and girls are the “hungriest face of the crisis,” according to Salvator Nkurunziza, the UN Women representative in Sudan.

“With conditions now at near famine thresholds in several regions in the country, it is not just a food crisis but a gender emergency caused by a failure of gender-responsive action,” said Mr. Nkurunziza at a Tuesday press briefing in Geneva.

A recent report further drove home the gendered nature of the crisis, revealing that women-led households in Sudan are three times more likely to experience severe insecurity than households led by men.

This is especially concerning as the death, displacement or forced disappearance of men has left more and more women the sole bread winners. In total 75 per cent of women-led households cannot meet basic food needs.

“The data is unequivocal: female-headed households are slipping deeper into starvation, with fewer coping mechanisms, less access to income, and even more systemic barriers than last year,” the report said.

Nevertheless, Mr. Nkurunziza reminded the international community that women are not just victims but also agents of change in crisis settings.

Women-led organizations are on the frontlines, providing food through soup kitchens and supporting displaced families. And yet, they remain excluded from many of the decision-making processes and exposed to undue risks.

An unchanged human rights landscape

Food security and displacement are not the only challenges that the Sudanese face. Rather, the human rights situation is also deteriorating, according to Mr. Nouicer who visited Sudan to meet key government officials in July.

“I remain gravely concerned that civilians in Sudan continue to suffer widespread violations and abuses, including extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, forced displacement and arbitrary detention,” he said.

He specifically highlighted the unique challenges that women, children and people with disabilities face when confronting displacement and violence.

“The ongoing war has devastated civilian lives and turned daily survival into a constant struggle.”

‘Irreversible damage’

Mr Yett said that in his most recent trip, he saw the best and worst of humanity – the devastating impact of violence and inaction coupled with the hopeful possibilities that peace and action could provide.

“We are on the verge of irreversible damage to an entire generation of children, not because we lack the knowledge or the tools to save them but because we are collectively failing to act with the urgency and at the scale this crisis demands,” he said.

The first step is ensuring access to regions of Sudan like Zamzam which have been cut off from aid. With the rainy season approaching – and some roads already impassable – this is only becoming more difficult.

Mr. Nouicer highlighted that even if a ceasefire between the warring rival militaries happened, the level of devastation and abuse is so extreme that the future will require more than just peace.

“The path forward demands more than ceasefires and peace talks. It requires a sustained commitment to justice, accountability, and inclusive governance.”

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Gaza crisis deepens as UN warns children are ‘dying before reaching hospital’

Posted on August 6, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

With 96 per cent of households lacking clean water, many malnourished children are not surviving long enough to receive hospital care.

James Elder, Spokesperson for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), told at a news briefing in Geneva that it would be a mistake to assume the situation is improving.

“There’s a sense through the world’s press that things are improving,” he said. “But unless there is sustained humanitarian aid…there will be horrific results.”

He emphasised the scale of need: “When food comes in which supports 30,000 children, there are still 970,000 children not getting enough. It is a drop in the ocean.”

Aid still a trickle

The UN relief coordination office, OCHA, said that although unilateral pauses have allowed some aid into Gaza, the current trickle is vastly insufficient.

“There should be hundreds and hundreds of trucks entering Gaza every day, for months or years to come,” said Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson. “People are dying every day. This is a crisis, on the brink of famine.”

Thousands of tons of pre-funded aid remain stuck just outside the enclave, he added, as bureaucratic delays and lack of safe access continue to block distribution.

Urgent scale-up needed

In New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq also noted the impediments to bringing in and distributing sufficient aid.

“Massive food shortages continue to impact people’s chances for survival,” he said. “As malnutrition levels rise, children’s immune systems are weakened, hindering their development and growth far into the future.”

Last Thursday alone, 71 kitchens delivered over 270,000 hot meals across Gaza, including 10,000 to health facilities. But that figure falls far short of what’s needed to feed more than two million people.

“We need an urgent scale-up of supplies, as well as an environment that allows humanitarians to reach people in need safely, rapidly and efficiently,” Mr. Haq added.

Health challenges continue

Some medicine has entered Gaza in recent days, but supplies remain limited. Health workers continue to operate under extreme pressure and shortages.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 46 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome in July, including two deaths. The condition, which affects the nervous system, has been linked to compromised immunity, poor nutrition and hygiene-related infections.

The situation of pregnant women and nursing mothers is equally alarming. The UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, said that 40 per cent of pregnant or breastfeeding women are suffering from severe malnutrition, with newborn deaths and stillbirths on the rise.

Meanwhile, three UN fuel tankers reached Gaza City on Monday. The fuel will power critical health, water and sanitation services, but OCHA stressed this only allows operations to run at “bare minimum” capacity.

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Hunger in Gaza: Women and children face death in search of food

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

“I used to easily receive aid distributed by the UN,” Abir Safi, a displaced person from the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, told UN News. “Now, we get nothing. I risk my life by going to the Zikim crossing and returning with an empty bag. All I want is to return to my children with some food.”

Ms. Safi said she never imagined that providing for her children would become a deadly adventure. After losing her husband in the war, she found herself alone, facing the responsibility of supporting her family amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

She was among thousands of citizens who gathered along Rashid Street in northern Gaza, which connects the Zikim crossing to northern Gaza, hoping to receive humanitarian aid.

A horse-drawn cart carries the bodies of more than seven Palestinians killed while trying to reach aid.

‘Bullets over my head’

Our correspondent witnessed the arrival of thousands of Palestinians returning from a journey in search of food supplies. Thousands of emaciated bodies – men, women, and children – were caught in a scene that has become a daily occurrence. Everyone is running in search of the few aid trucks that reach northern Gaza.

The United Nations has the capacity and resources necessary to distribute aid in a safe, dignified manner to all those in need in the Gaza Strip. The organization continues to call for the lifting of restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on the entry and distribution of aid into Gaza.

The danger lies not only in the crowding and chaos, but also in the death that lurks around everyone. Fayza al-Turmisi, a displaced person from Shuja’iyya, described the horrific scene along Rashid Street in northern Gaza.

“They fire shells and bullets at us here. We are forced to lie on the ground. I hide among more than 200 men, and bullets fly over my head. If you raise your head, you get hit. If you stay on the ground, bullets fall around you.”

A young Gazan was injured while trying to obtain aid.

Between mourning and hunger

Mohammed Mudeiris, aged seven, said he lost his father in an airstrike just the day before. He doesn’t have the luxury of grieving for his father as he is now the sole breadwinner for his siblings.

Walking through the dense crowds, he extends his small hand, begging for a handful of flour to take back to his siblings.

“I am the eldest of my siblings,” he said. “My father was killed in an airstrike yesterday. I am trying to ask someone to give me a plate of flour or a meal from the aid that arrived today.”

Mohammed Mudeiris, a child who lost his father in an Israeli airstrike, coming to secure food for his siblings from aid trucks arriving via the Zikim crossing.

‘I risk my life to bring food to my children’

The race for food is not limited to men. Women are forced to take this risk, driven by the responsibilities of motherhood and the needs of their children.

“I throw myself into danger to bring food for my children,” said Asma Masoud, who was displaced from northern Gaza.

“We never get our fair share of aid,” she said. “My husband is paralysed, and there are widows and women like me who cannot provide food for their children.”

Highlighting that some young people take the aid and sell it at exorbitant prices that she cannot afford to buy, Ms. Masoud called on the world to ensure “a fair distribution mechanism and to allow UNRWA [the UN agency for Palestine refugees] and international organizations to do so”.

Aid should be distributed via text messages so that every person in need receives their share, as was the case before, she said.

“But now, only a few people are profiting and selling the aid,” she stated. “We cannot tolerate that. It is an injustice.”

Asma Masoud, a displaced woman from northern Gaza, returning from a search for food.

‘I don’t know how I’m going to feed my children’

Ms. Safi agreed with Ms. Masoud, complaining that “the beneficiaries now are largely thieves.”

“I’ve lost a lot of weight, and all my health is gone,” Ms. Safi said. “I don’t know how I’m going to feed my children. I want to receive aid with dignity. Aid used to come through the United Nations, and I could easily go and receive it, but now I don’t receive anything.”

I want to receive aid with dignity.

This chaotic system leaves behind widows, women, the elderly and many other complex humanitarian cases, such as Maqboula Adas, who supports her injured husband and her son who has a broken leg.

“My husband is injured and cannot move,” she explained. “My eldest son has a broken leg, and I also have three daughters. No one supports us except God. Every day I go to try to get some flour. If it weren’t for that, they would have died of hunger.”

Maqboula Adas, a displaced woman from Shuja’iyya.

Carts carry corpses

At the height of this tragedy, macabre scenes emerge. Instead of carrying bags of flour, a horse-drawn cart transports the bodies of at least seven Palestinians who were killed while trying to get aid.

While some young men carried sacks of flour on their backs, ambulances bring the wounded and dead from the northern regions. The achievement of getting food aid comes at a heavy price.

One young man was injured in the head and face while trying to collect aid.

“I came to collect aid, but today wasn’t my day,” he said. “I will come again despite my injury, and I hope God will provide for me next time.”

Thousands of Palestinians seeking aid arriving from the Israeli Zikim crossing in northern Gaza.

Risk of famine

Gaza is facing a severe risk of famine, with food consumption and nutrition indicators at their worst levels since the beginning of the current conflict, according to a warning issued by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

At least 147 deaths due to hunger and malnutrition have been reported, including 88 children. More than 28,000 cases of severe acute malnutrition have been recorded among children, according to reports from the World Health Organization and the World Food Programme.

Despite promises to facilitate the flow of aid, restrictions on the entry of food and fuel, along with ongoing attacks near the crossings, have prevented supplies from reaching those in need. In addition, the chaotic distribution of aid within Gaza has further complicated the situation and placed civilians at greater risk.

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) has documented the deaths of hundreds of people attempting to access aid amid ongoing gunfire and shelling near relief truck routes and military distribution points.

Abir Safi, a displaced woman from Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood.

‘If I get killed, who will take care of my children?’

Amidst this chaos, widow Enaam Siam, a mother of six, recounts her struggle for food.

“I am a widow and a mother of six orphaned children, one of whom is injured,” she said. “Every day, I go out amidst death to bring them food. I see the dead and wounded.”

She asked why aid is no longer delivered to warehouses and distributed via text message.

“If I am killed, who will take care of my children? There are thousands of women in a similar situation. We want safety, peace and a fair system that ensures aid reaches those in need.”

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Cholera spreads in North Darfur, 640,000 children under threat, UNICEF warns

Posted on August 4, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

More than 1,180 cholera cases – including an estimated 300 in children – and at least 20 deaths have been reported in Tawila, a town that has absorbed over half a million people fleeing violence since April.

Across the wider Darfur region, the toll is even more alarming: nearly 2,140 cases and at least 80 fatalities as of 30 July.

“Despite being preventable and easily treatable, cholera is ripping through Tawila and elsewhere in Darfur, threatening children’s lives, especially the youngest and most vulnerable,” said Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative in Sudan.

With hospitals bombed and many health facilities shuttered, Tawila – located just 70 kilometres from the besieged state capital El Fasher – has become a flashpoint of overlapping crises.

Limited access to clean water, poor sanitation and overcrowded camps have created ideal conditions for the disease to spread.

Deepening catastrophe

The cholera outbreak is unfolding against a backdrop of deepening catastrophe. Since the war between rival militaries erupted in April 2023, critical infrastructure has been decimated, millions displaced and food systems dismantled.

Famine has already been declared in at least 10 locations, including the vast Zamzam camp, with over a dozen more areas at risk.

Sudan’s extreme vulnerability to climate shocks – from droughts to devastating floods – has further compounded the crisis, leaving families to navigate the deadly intersection of conflict, hunger, disease and environmental collapse.

Over 640,000 children at risk

More than 640,000 children under five in North Darfur alone are now at risk. Recent assessments show that the number of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition in the region has doubled in the past year.

“Children whose bodies are weakened by hunger are far more likely to contract cholera and to die from it,” UNICEF warned.

“They cannot wait a day longer.”

Call for action

UNICEF is urgently calling on all parties to ensure sustained, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access. Bureaucratic delays, looted aid convoys and active fighting have hampered the delivery of vital supplies, including vaccines, therapeutic food and medical kits.

The agency is scaling up its emergency response in Tawila and across Darfur, distributing Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), chlorinated water and hygiene kits.

Nearly 30,000 people in Tawila now have daily access to safe drinking water, while outreach teams are raising awareness on prevention and early treatment.

Funds urgently needed

To support long-term containment, UNICEF plans to deliver more than 1.4 million doses of oral cholera vaccine and bolster treatment centres.

Additional supplies – soap, latrine slabs, plastic sheeting – are being readied, though access remains the greatest obstacle.

Since the outbreak was officially declared in August 2024, more than 94,000 cholera cases and over 2,370 deaths have been reported across 17 of Sudan’s 18 states. UNICEF says it urgently requires $30.6 million to fund its emergency cholera response.

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

Posted on July 31, 2025 by Arun Kumar N

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 current conditions for aid delivery are “far from sufficient”.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that while it is using every available window to deliver supplies during the unilateral pauses, the scale of need vastly outpaces what is getting through.

“A permanent ceasefire is needed more than ever,” Mr. Haq said, emphasising that “unilateral tactical pauses alone do not allow for the continuous flow of supplies required to meet immense needs levels in Gaza.”

Access a major hurdle

Access remains one of the biggest hurdles.

Entry through the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing requires multiple layers of approval from Israeli authorities, including safe passage, cessation of bombardment and the literal opening of locked gates.

“Yesterday, three facilitated missions allowed our staff to collect cargo containing food from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings and allowed for fuel to be transferred within Gaza,” Mr. Haq said.

“However, the others faced impediments, particularly delays in receiving the green light to move by the Israeli authorities, and one had to be cancelled.”

Extreme hunger haunts children

The situation was echoed by Ricardo Pires, UNICEF’s communication manager, who returned from Gaza this week.

“It’s absolutely apocalyptic,” he told UN News. “Children are being injured and killed while trying to get food and aid while suffering from malnutrition and hunger.”

Mr. Pires said that two out of the three criteria for a famine declaration have been met, according to the latest alert by food security experts.

UNICEF and other agencies are also grappling with the collapse of basic infrastructure.

Perfect storm of suffering for children

“We’re at the brink of a man-made drought,” Mr. Pires said, with only 40 per cent of water production functioning and children turning to contaminated sources, risking deadly disease.

“Children are dehydrated. They are reverting to contaminated water, which will make them sick, with deadly diseases or diarrhoea outbreaks and in some cases, even meningitis,” he added.

“It is a complete perfect storm of suffering for children.”

UN News interview with UNICEF Communication Manager Ricardo Pires.

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