Amidst the ear-piercing noise of the helicopter, I could hear 11-year-old Jahmaurae Moreau say that to fly in a helicopter was “pretty cool”. He was smiling but, minutes later, as we were leaving the island behind, a few tears rolled slowly down his cheeks His mother Marianise and his 4-year-old sister Katheleh sat in front of us.… Read more →←
Topic: Children in emergencies
How a passionate mother in Sudan is learning to give her baby girl the best start in life. For Sarah Mohammed, the journey to motherhood was not an easy one. The 34-year old from El Obeid, Sudan, spent six years desperately visiting doctors and taking test after test to unearth any potential cause delaying her pregnancy. However, nothing… Read more →←
Iraq’s southern city of Basra was once a thriving port city. In its heyday, it was described as the “Venice of the east” due to the numerous canals and bridges all over the city. The comparisons with Venice are long gone. Today, the situation is bleak. Basra’s canals are polluted with filth, algae and bacteria. The riverbanks are… Read more →←
The sound of students reciting the alphabet is replaced by silence. The stillness is only broken by wind rattling the dry grass surrounding the pole stumps in straight lines on the barren plain. The poles used to hold Ogweni primary school, then the conflict came. One hour by plane from the capital Juba and 15 minutes by boat on the… Read more →←
2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the seminal document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1989, which seeks to protect and preserve the right of every child to a safe, healthy environment in which to develop and grow. In May 2002, the final Declaration of the United Nations… Read more →←
Being responsible for UNICEF’s water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme in the Middle East and North Africa region, I’ve served in many countries affected by conflict. These include Syria, Pakistan and Iraq and prolonged stints in countries like Yemen. I will never forget my time in beautiful Syria – a country very close… Read more →←
I came to Ethiopia in 2013, and lived in the Sherkole refugee camp, where I spent four years. Before Sherkole I was studying in a government school in Uganda. Now I am in Bambasi Camp (Ethiopia) where I have been for the last two years. When I left my home country DRC, I was 12 years old and studying in Grade 2. We lived in a rural area… Read more →←
Until a few years ago, no one had heard of the Kasai, then one of the most peaceful provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Since August 2016 however, this safe haven has become synonymous with atrocities and unspeakable violence. Hundreds of thousands of people had to flee to save their lives; their children were used… Read more →←
There is no simple narrative about water and sanitation in the State of Palestine. It’s one about Gaza, the West Bank, and multiple contexts within each. But for a child – or a family — it’s access to safe water and sanitation that ultimately matters. That’s why, after three years working in the State of Palestine, I wanted to… Read more →←
It has been a rewarding, challenging year. On January 1, 2018, when I became the head of UNICEF, I felt privileged to begin leading an organization with a noble mission: protecting the rights of every child. I thought then – and am even more convinced now – that there is no more important cause than children and young people. But… Read more →←
