At a medical clinic outside of Bol, a town in Chad’s Lac Region, I recently met Adama Abdulai – a 30-year-old mother of six. Her 3-year-old son Abdou was being treated for severe acute malnutrition; at eight kilograms, Abdu weighed roughly the same amount as his 9-month-old brother. Report by Chris Tidey. N’DJAMENA, Chad. Ms. … Continued

Each year, the period between the rains and the new harvest is a lean season, when mothers like Fatima Mohammed struggle to feed their children—in Mohammed’s case, seven of them. Report by Shantha Bloemen, UNICEF. GAET TEIDOUMA, Mauritania But last year, there was no rain, and this year’s lean season has come three months early. … Continued

“It is a relief to receive some blankets and drinking water today so my children can be more comfortable and do not have to sleep on the dust anymore,” said Fatuma Mathala. Report by Shushan Mebrahtu and Seydou Amadou Oumarou. MANGAIZÉ, Niger, Ms. Mathala, who is six months pregnant, and her four children, ages 2, … Continued

It’s been two years since my last visit to Mao, a sand-smothered town in the belt of the Sahel. People here used to farm and raise animals but all that has changed. The rains haven’t fallen in years. Four seasons of crops have failed. The animals are dying and the children too. The world hears … Continued

A layer of dust cloaks the horizon around Mao, a town in Western Chad, deep in the Sahel region of Africa. Rain hasn’t fallen in years, and four seasons of crops have failed. Animals have long been dying here, but lately, children have too. Report by Guy Hubbard – MAO, Chad. VIDEO: UNICEF correspondent Anja … Continued

Four-year-old Bassira was motionless in her hospital bed while a tube running through her nose delivered nutrient-rich therapeutic milk to her body – treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Repory by Stephen Pattison and Chris Tidey. MARADI, Niger, 13 February 2012 Her mother brought her to this therapeutic feeding centre outside Maradi after Bassira, who was … Continued

Nearly eleven months of violence in Syria have led to the deaths and injuries of hundreds of children. There are reports of children being arbitrarily arrested, tortured and sexually abused while in detention. Over the past few days, reported heavy shelling by government forces of civilian neighbourhoods in the city of Homs is undoubtedly causing … Continued

Four-year-old Nomy arrived at the hospital in Amboasary with a diagnosis of severe acute malnutrition – a potentially deadly condition – with medical complications. By 11 a.m., he had been admitted for emergency treatment. AMBOASARY, Madagascar. VIDEO: UNICEF reports on the treatment of severe acute malnutrition among children under age 5 in Madagascar. But Nomy … Continued

ADEN, Yemen, 30 January 2012 – The voice of Miryam Mohammed, a 10-year-old Somali girl, echoed around the small rooms of her day care centre. She and the other children are singing the Somali national anthem. Report by Ansar Rasheed “The song is about my home land that I have never seen,” she explained. “I … Continued

In the busy lakeside town of Gisenyi, a UNICEF-supported therapeutic nutrition rehabilitation unit is helping give babies a healthy start in life. Report by Jenny Clover, UNICEF. The pediatric ward at Gisenyi Hospital sees around three new cases of malnutrition each week, and is working to bring this number down to zero. The hospital’s community … Continued

At the end of the farming season. Halima Isaka sat with her 10-month-old daughter at the edge of their family’s field, watching as her husband loaded a pile of dried millet stalks onto an oxcart. With cash transfers, UNICEF and partners aid drought-affected families in Niger. Report by Bob Coen. VIDEO: UNICEF correspondent Bob Coen … Continued

The ongoing crisis in the Horn of Africa will remain a significant part of UNICEF’s global humanitarian response in the coming year, according to the ‘Humanitarian Action for Children 2012’ report, which launches tomorrow. Report by Chris Niles. UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes Louis-Georges Arsenault discusses UNICEF’s annual appeal for emergency funding. The report appeals … Continued