One year ago, on 20 July 2011, the United Nations declared famine in two regions of southern Somalia, the flashpoint in a humanitarian crisis gripping the Horn of Africa. After an outpouring of international support, the famine ended in February 2012, and countless lives across the region were saved. But 8 million people in Somalia, … Continued

SANA’A, Yemen, 10 July 2012 – “Wouldn’t you instinctively want to invest in hope more than horror?” These were the words of UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake during his three-day visit to Yemen this week. Report by Alison Parker. 7-9 July 2012: UNICEF correspondent Chris Niles reports on the visit of UNICEF Executive Director Anthony … Continued

AL MAFRAQ, Jordan, 9 July 2012 – Funnels of dust race like miniature tornadoes at this former airfield near the town of Al Mafraq, in Jordan’s north.Report by David Youngmeyer Here, staff members of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and UNICEF cluster on a weather-beaten road, discussing in urgent tones how to make this barren … Continued

According to UNICEF’s estimates, 127,000 children will be at risk of severe acute malnutrition, a deadly condition, in Chad this year, part of the broader food and nutrition crisis afflicting the Sahel region of Africa. Report by Héloïse Vilain. “Severe acute malnutrition is directly related to mortality. This means that if we don’t care, these … Continued

NEW YORK, USA, 11 June 2012 – As conditions in the Sahel region of Africa continue to worsen, international recording artist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo has added her voice to the movement to save the lives of more than 1 million children under age 5 who are at risk of deadly severe acute … Continued

Kasur District, Punjab Province, Pakistan – May, 2012: Life has been a constant struggle for Allahditta, 36, the proud father of five children: four girls and a boy. Allahditta was one of eight children in a family that lived in poverty. As a child, Allahditta’s family could afford to send him to school for only … Continued

MAFRAQ/AMMAN, Jordan, 4 June 2012 – On their way to school in Homs last year, 9-year-old twins Seema* and Nour* saw dead bodies in the street. “They came home very upset,” said their father, Amjad*. “Now they are afraid of loud noises.” Report by Wendy Bruere The two girls stopped going to school after that. … Continued

In southern Turkey, Syrian refugee children are caught between a harrowing past and an uncertain future. Report by Patrick Wells HATAY, Turkey, 10 May 2012 – In a quiet house outside Antakya in southern Turkey, parents fleeing 14 months of violence in Syria have set up a makeshift school for their children. The sounds of … Continued

In Mali, community health programmes put malnourished children on the road to recovery You wouldn’t think it to look at her, but Bintou Traoré is 18 months old. She is very small for her age because her little body has not had enough nutrients to grow normally. Report by Rita Ann Wallace March 14, 2012: … Continued

NIAMEY, Niger, 17 May 2012 – In the nutrition ward of Niamey’s regional hospital, all the beds are full of children showing the familiar signs of severe acute malnutrition: severe wasting, skins stretched tight over bones. The room is silent except for the noise of a small fan and the occasional cry of a child. … Continued

BEST-selling author Cathy Kelly has told how she was moved by the plight of disadvantaged kids in Mozambique. Cathy is a Unicef Ireland ambassador and has just returned from a trip to the impoverished African country where she met children affected by malaria. Read an article on Cathy’s visit in the Irish Sun: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/irishsun/irishshowbiz/4321667/Top-author-Cathy-visits-Mozambique.html   … Continued

UNICEF Ireland Executive Director Peter Power’s video diary from his third day in Eastern Chad near the Sahara Desert. Here he is reporting from inside a UNICEF supported feeding centre for malnourished children. To donate to the UNICEF Ireland Appeal for the Children of the Sahel, please visit our Sahel Emergency Appeal page