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



Myanmar: Cyclone-affected children return to the classroom. (Jul 24)
LAPUTTA TOWNSHIP, Myanmar, 22 July 2008 – The school year here in the southern Irrawaddy Delta region was supposed to resume last month. The destruction and damage affecting nearly 60 per cent of the area's public schools in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, however, prevented classes from starting on time.


Gender equality: Women parliamentarians lead change in Africa (Jul 24)
NEW YORK, USA, 22 July 2008 – Several African countries are at the forefront of a growing trend to substantially increase female representation in parliaments around the world.


Angola: Better household survey data means better lives (Jul 24)
LUANDA, Angola, 21 July 2008 – The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, or MICS, is a UNICEF-supported census designed to evaluate the well-being of women and children. Angola's third MICS is now being conducted in all of its 18 provinces.


Japan: J8 Summit widens the horizons of young participants (Jul 24)
NEW YORK, USA, 18 July 2008 – The 2008 Junior 8 Summit concluded in Japan last week with a standing ovation from all 39 delegates.


New York: UNICEF joins call to end impunity for violators against children in armed conflict (Jul 24)
NEW YORK, 17 July 2008 – On the tenth anniversary of the statute classifying child recruitment as a war crime, members of the United Nations Security Council were urged today to take measures offering greater protection for children in conflict zones and ending impunity for violators of children's rights.


Uzbekistan: At conference, Central Asia unites against mother-to-child HIV transmission (Jul 24)
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, 16 July 2008 – Central Asia's HIV/AIDS epidemic is on the rise. Major outbreaks among children have occurred recently in hospitals across the region, mainly in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. One reason for the outbreaks is the transmission of the virus from mother to child.


Nigeria: Equal-access to sanitation for those living with disabilities (Jul 24)
BUNGUDU, Nigeria, 15 July 2008 – Nafisa Salisu, 16, whose legs were deformed by polio, manoeuvred her wheelchair into the specially designed Ventilated Improved Pit (VIP) latrine for physically challenged pupils at Bungudu Primary School.


Niger: UNICEF-supported soap opera "Soueba" aims to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS (Jul 23)
NIAMEY, Niger, 15 July 2008 – HIV/AIDS is an issue that is rarely talked about in Niger's conservative society. In August, in an effort to bring the issue to the forefront, Niger will launch its first ever soap opera about young people living in a world affected by the AIDS pandemic.


Mozambique: Children explore AIDS issues through photography (Jul 24)
MAPUTO, Mozambique, 14 July 2008 – Last year, 21 children aged 11 through 17 took to the streets of Maputo with cameras to document their lives and their communities. Over the course of two weeks, with help from a team of professional photographers, they opened the doors of their homes and learned how to tell their stories through the camera's lens.


Sierra Leone: 'Voice of Children' becomes a national fixture (Jul 24)
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone, 14 July 2008 – At its launch in 2003, the UNICEF-supported 'Voice of Children' project in Sierra Leone was the first post-conflict radio programme of its kind. Its success has served as a template for a similar programme in Liberia, as well as in other countries emerging from conflict.