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Children

Children’s rights under the apply to environmental protection, and confirms that children have a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. More than 16,000 children in 121 countries took part in the   which emphasizes the urgent need to address the adverse effects of environmental degradation, with a special focus on climate change, on the enjoyment of children’s rights, and clarifies the obligations of States to address environmental harm and climate change. Children are at the forefront of a wave of ground-breaking litigation around the world that has the potential not only to ensure greater accountability on the part of governments and business, but also to trigger fundamental shifts in approach.

The was by the side of the children of seasonal agricultural families all summer to ensure that they could go to school instead of the fields. With the organized educational activities, sightseeing, sports, music, and skill-building workshops, the children had a very productive summer.

Children in 48 out of 49 African countries assessed are categorized as at high or extremely high risk of the impacts of , says a report, "". Yet, only 2.4% of global climate funding targets children. Children living in the Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Guinea, Somalia and Guinea-Bissau are the most at risk.

UNICEF and are working together on an increasing number of projects that demonstrate how communities across Africa can become more resilient as they adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. UNEP, UNICEF and are working together with young people, governments, employers' and workers' organizations, and the private sector to design and implement the .

presents 14-year-old Djeneba's poem which reveals a vivid picture of a young boy struggling to survive because of conflict in Burkina Faso

Compared to adults, infants and children are uniquely affected by heat stress, leaving them more vulnerable to its short- and long-term effects. Pregnant women and fetuses are also vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. .

The meals offered by Shree Kakani Ganesh Primary School, in Nepal are part of a broader effort to give young school children a healthy start. With more than one-fourth of Nepal’s children under 5 suffering from malnutrition, the school meals are a game changer. Under ’s Home-Grown School Feeding initiative, children are fed with different nutritious hot meals daily resulting in fewer children missing school. Food is sourced from local smallholder farmers which in turn has seen an increase in the local communities income and strengthened economy while improving family dynamics in Nepal.

Benazir and her husband lost a child amidst the tumult of the floods and have since faced challenges trying to feed their other children. The impact of last year’s historic floods will be felt for years to come by children and their families. In these climate-related crises children suffer most, with those in the poorest communities bearing the biggest burden. More than 1.5 million boys and girls are already severely malnourished, a number that will only rise in the absence of safe water and proper sanitation. is training teachers on psychosocial care and health care and has established hundreds of temporary learning centres in the worst-affected districts.

It is an alarming fact that there are more children engaged in child labour in sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world combined. Not all this work is considered child labour. Age‑appropriate tasks that are not hazardous and do not interfere with a child’s education can be positive for the family and even contribute to the inter-generational transfer of valuable skills that boost families’ food security. Here are four examples of the work is doing to tackle this issue from the field right up to the global level, to ensure that children have a childhood.

"You hear some strong policymakers telling us our children are our future. They are not your future. You are the past; they are the present and they are their own future.â€

A pediatrician by training, Dr. Najat Maalla M'jid has always been dedicated to rescuing children from suffering. Now United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, she works tirelessly to protect young people around the world. “What I learned in my life, it's the eyes. […] When you are speaking with children, when you have light in their eyes, it's still possible. When the light switches off, it’s too late.â€

Half of the world’s children are exposed to violence every year, often leaving devastating, lasting impacts on their mental health. In this episode, Najat Maalla M'jid reflects on the importance of rapid intervention in cases of violence against children and the extraordinary courage and resilience of youth.

Photo credit: ©World Organization of the Scout Movement

's presents Jonathan's Miracle Feet through The Health for All Film Festival which is an initiative to connect people joining the movement for health promotion through films. 

girls in front of a table with cables, switches and tools in rural India

Observed on 12 June, World Day Against Child Labour serves as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labour. For this year’s observance, the (ILO) seeks to reinvigorate international action to achieve social justice and the elimination of child labour. ILO also calls for the universal ratification of the . Towards this end, a high-level event takes place today. Follow the live event on and take action to #EndChildLabour!

Nearly two weeks after Cyclone Mocha, a grim certainty looms as the coastal areas of and enters monsoon season. The cyclone has sent food prices soaring and wiped-out people’s slender food stocks. But now Mocha’s devastation has only deepened hunger already sharpened by the country’s conflict and political and economic crises. has distributed hot meals and emergency food assistance to thousands of people in the immediate aftermath of the storm. A funding shortfall is threatening WFP's response in both countries.

A red alert for children’s health: Routine immunization coverage dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest edition of  report launched today explores the causes and the steps we must take to make sure that no child is left behind. As the flagship publication of the , the report was first published in 1980, focusing each year on a key issue affecting children. These have ranged from children with disabilities, conflict and war, child labour, urbanization, and early childhood development. 

The number of children without access to social protection is increasing year-on-year, leaving them at risk of poverty, hunger and discrimination, according to a new by the  and .

Children Ukraine war

Children need peace. Now.

One year into the Ukraine war, an estimated 1.5 million children are at risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental conditions. Not many are lucky as Kateryna who left Kyiv with her children at the beginning of the war. Once again, children are paying the price of a war not of their own making. has been working with national and local authorities, as well as civil society organizations in Ukraine and neighboring countries to deliver emergency assistance, access to education, health and mental health support, and life-saving information to children and their families.