UNICEF has released a record funding appeal for 2014 to respond to the needs of Syria’s children.

Over 6 million children in Syria will be affected by the conflict in 2014.

In the Eastern Cape, a ten minute drive is all it takes and you feel like you’re in a completely different country. Kieran O’Brien, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF Ireland reflects on a journey in South Africa.

UNICEF Ireland and The Cathal Ryan Trust are here supporting the Isibindi Safe Park network. As well as supporting children at the safe park, Child Care Workers visit the homes of vulnerable children and young people from their community.

Through UNICEF Ireland’s new partnership with The Cathal Ryan Trust vulnerable children in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, will be supported and empowered through a network of safe parks.

Every parent’s dream, wherever they are in the world, is for a healthy start in life for their baby. Thanks to the collective support of parents across the globe, Pampers and UNICEF are protecting women and their newborn babies by eliminating Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT).

The desire to learn and better themselves is strong among Syrian girl refugees

Hanan, 16, is one of the many young girls who have fled Syria in the wake of the devastating conflict. She now lives in the Zaa’tari refugee camp on the Syrian-Jordanian border with her family, which she describes as ‘okay.’

UNICEF Ireland Ambassador and Irish rugby star, Donncha O’Callaghan, went back to his old school, CBC Cork, with RTÉ’s Two Tube to talk about his recent visit to meet Syrian refugee children in Lebanon.

O’Callaghan, who met severely malnourished and sick children living in tented settlements in Lebanon, appealed to individuals, schools and communities all over Ireland to raise funds for UNICEF’s lifesaving work.

I imagine I was just one of many people in Cork deeply upset by the images of children lying dead in their homes in Syria which was all over our newspapers and TV screens this week. I first saw the photos on Twitter and was compelled to share my feelings of horror straight away. I … Continued

The devastating conflict in the Syria has forced one million children to flee their homes. Eight-year-old Aya is one of them. Her smile is contagious. Her energy is infectious. She’s playful, she’s sporty, she’s talented. Eight-year-old Aya loves to talk, she loves to sing and she loves to learn. Every day, she takes lessons in … Continued

Education activist Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan addresses youth delegates at the Malala Day celebration and UN Youth Assembly at UNHQ. Photo: UNICEF/NYHQ2013-0391/Markisz“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” These are the words of one of the world’s most inspirational teenagers- a young woman who has already changed the world at … Continued

Today on World Humanitarian Day we are taking a moment to celebrate our colleagues all over the world who do remarkable work in some of the most dangerous and difficult environments on the planet. We also remember our colleagues who have lost their lives in this service, including the 22 people who were killed on … Continued

It’s a parent’s worst nightmare – one day you simply run out of food and can no longer feed your children. This was the reality faced by Kumani, a mother who owns a small plot of land in Chad where her family have always grown peanuts, sorghum and beans to feed themselves. Droughts in 2005 … Continued

In October 2012, 14 year old Malala Yousafzai was shot in Pakistan. In December 2012, 26 pupils and teachers shot in a school in Newtown, Connecticut. In 2013, we saw reports about young girls being gang raped in India and South Africa. These were the stories we saw. But so many cases of violence against … Continued