For most children, the first day back to school is not something they look forward to. But for children who haven’t set foot inside a classroom in two or three years, the thought of returning to school is filled with excitement and celebration. Nisreen is one of millions of children across Iraq who have lost so … Continued

It’s happening again. Hear the remarkable similarities between the stories of Harry, a child refugee of WWII and Ahmed, a child refugee from Syria. Both consider themselves lucky to have been offered sanctuary outside the countries of their birth. Refugees need us. Refugees who are children are especially vulnerable.

UNICEF has launched its largest ever emergency assistance appeal. We estimate $3.3 billion will be needed to carry out essential humanitarian work on behalf of children in the greatest areas of need in 2017. See our assessment of countries in crisis here.

UNICEF is marking its 70th Anniversary, and as part of the celebrations we asked well-known dignitaries and writers from all over the world to participate in our Tiny Stories campaign. Each of them was given the brief to describe their wish #foreverychild in seven lines or less. Here in Ireland, President Micheal D. Higgins, Ballyturk … Continued

For over 70 years, UNICEF has been the defender of children around the world, regardless of gender, religion, race or economic background. When the world’s most vulnerable need a champion in the face of conflict, disease or exclusion, UNICEF has been there. Over these 70 years, the world has changed, but children’s needs have not. … Continued

Strictly Come Dancing’s Laura Whitmore travelled to Nepal for the EU and UNICEF, as part of a campaign called #EmergencyLessons What Laura saw in this earthquake zone challenged her ideas about humanitarian aid.

Ten-year-old Ahmed lives with more than 6,000 other displaced people in a former warehouse turned in to a shelter, on the outskirts of Aleppo. With both parents dead and no other relatives to look after him or his four siblings, Ahmed came to the shelter from East Aleppo with his neighbours. Photo: © UNICEF Syrian Arab Republic/2016/Al-Issa … Continued

UNICEF is 70 years in operation, but we are not celebrating. We work in 190 countries, advocating on behalf of children here in Ireland, supporting child rights in countries where services are being developed, and responding to emergencies in countries where a quarter of the world’s children live – wherever we are, we work for … Continued

Dispatch from the Turkish-Syrian border: ‘Aged 11, he survived Aleppo to be forced into sweatshops’ Stephen Rae PUBLISHED04/12/2016 | 02:30 A Syrian refugee child in Nizip 1 outside Gaziantep, Turkey on the Syrian border. Pic:Mark Condren Gaziantep is a prosperous, bustling city. There are smart restaurants, fruit and vegetable stalls groaning with local produce, busy but excellent … Continued

Peter Power, Executive Director for UNICEF Ireland recently returned from a visit to a Syrian refugee camp. He has seen first hand the lengths families must go to in order to stay warm. Plunging temperatures, freezing rain and snow will bring misery and suffering to families already exhausted by six years of relentless war. Winter is on its … Continued

We took 16-year-old actor Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (Sing St) to Nepal to see how students are managing one year on from devastating earthquake in 2015. What he found was resilience, courage and determination to succeed. Ferdia struck up a friendship with Binod (15), who lives in one of the districts worst-affected by the natural disaster – … Continued

Moving forward at full speed + 1 – Time is short PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI, 17 October – “A lot of things are moving forward at the same time. Big organisations in general, and the United Nations in particular, are often accused of being slow and sluggish, yet looking at the speed of action and feeling the vibe within … Continued