At current rate, female genital mutilation will take centuries to eradicate, U.N. says
Female genital mutilation (FGM) will take centuries to eradicate despite world leaders promising to end the practice by 2030, according to United Nations data released on Thursday. FGM remains as common today as 30 years ago in Somalia, Mali, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Chad and Senegal, ...
Samoa measles death toll rises to 37 amid anti-vax push: WHO
A measles epidemic raging in Samoa has killed 37 people, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, blaming an anti-vaccine messaging campaign for leaving the Pacific island nation vulnerable to the spread of the virus. The U.N. health agency warned that a steep decline in vaccination ...
Shelters full, hopes dim for migrants in Mexico seeking U.S. asylum
The giggles of children at play are about the only pleasant thing about a dark, crowded and stifling warehouse in Mexico that is home to some 150 migrants waiting for the United States to process their asylum claims. Some of the adults sweep the floor ...
Japanese envoy and UNICEF press for childhood vaccinations amid rise in misinformation
Japan's envoy to the United Nations joined forces with the head of UNICEF on Friday to push the world to make sure as many children as possible are vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases amid a rise in misinformation about immunization programs. "Ensuring and scaling up ...
South Sudan sees hunger approaching record levels despite peace deal
A record number of nearly 7 million people are facing severe hunger in South Sudan despite a peace agreement that has largely stopped fighting after more than five years of war, U.N. agencies warned Friday. "Every year, hunger reaches new and unprecedented levels in South ...
Tripoli's children struggle to study as war reaches the capital
For 13-year-old Taha Aboud, who dreams of becoming an engineer, war in Libya's capital Tripoli has meant his family fleeing their home and him missing studies as they searched for a new school. "I'm happy to be back at school. I hope to become a ...
Japan offers most paid leave for fathers worldwide but few take it, UNICEF report finds
Japan leads the world in offering paid leave for fathers, but few take advantage of it, according to a new report by UNICEF based on legal entitlements from 2016. The report — called "Are the world's richest countries family-friendly?" — looks at the globe's most ...
Ex-Japan captain Makoto Hasebe visits Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh
Soccer player Makoto Hasebe, who serves as Japan's national UNICEF goodwill ambassador, visited a Muslim Rohingya refugee camp in southern Bangladesh on Thursday to call greater attention to the refugees' plight. At a press briefing in Dhaka following his visit, the Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder lamented ...
Cholera cases soar to 139 as cyclone-ravaged Mozambique prepares mass vaccinations
The number of confirmed cholera cases in cyclone-ravaged Mozambique climbed sharply to 139 Thursday as authorities prepared to roll out a mass vaccination campaign to stem the spread of the deadly disease. "The total number of cholera cases is now 139," government health officer Ussein ...
Ebola treatment center in Congo reopens after attack, but MSF yet to return
An Ebola treatment center at the epicenter of the current outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has resumed operations after it was closed in response to an attack last week, the Congolese health ministry said on Sunday. The facility in the city of Butembo ...
U.N. warns of 'lost generation' of Rohingya children as half a million languish in refugee camps
The United Nations warned on Thursday of what it described as a lost generation of Muslim Rohingya children, with half a million in refugee camps in Bangladesh facing dangers including disease and floods and those still in Myanmar lacking access to proper education. One year ...
UNICEF and Lixil join hands to improve toilet access for children
UNICEF and major water and housing equipment maker Lixil Corp. announced on Thursday that they forged a partnership to address sanitation problems that put hundreds of children in danger every day. A joint agreement entitled "Make a splash! Toilets for Everyone!" aims to achieve one ...
