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What do you do every day to take care of your mental health?
In the words of Orlando Bloom, , "Sometimes it just takes a walk".
Since 2016, Burkina Faso has been experiencing political instability and violent conflict, leading to over 2 million internally displaced people and more than 200,000 refugees in neighboring countries. Maimouna Ba's organization, Femmes pour la Dignite du Sahel (), has offered since 2020 school fees for displaced children and skills training for displaced women. She collected donations, rallied support and encouraged volunteers to join her. Since then, her Un Enfant, Un Parrain (One Child, One Sponsor) programme has matched vulnerable children with individual sponsors who contribute towards their school fees.
Mpox is an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. A new variant of the virus is spreading, putting children at risk.
Education is a basic human right and essential to fulfilling all human rights. On International Day to Protect Education from Attack (9 September) we are reminded of the devastating impact of war on young learners. Education provides knowledge, skills, and support for future generations, particularly for vulnerable groups such as girls, migrants, refugees, and people with disabilities. Places of education should be safe havens, but they are often targeted in conflict-affected areas, resulting in serious repercussions for students and teachers.
鈥淪hootings, that鈥檚 why I left. Rapes. All that. I could not stay [back home]鈥 鈥 Solona, 14
Armed groups in Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite region are terrorizing entire communities. As streets, schools and playgrounds have been turned into battlefields, many have had . Thousands are now stranded in makeshift displacement sites. Struggling to access electricity, food, water, and adequate sanitation. Entire families are sleeping outside on the ground, at the mercy of torrential rains and disease-carrying insects. Children unable to go to school.
Violence in Haiti has reached shocking levels. continues to call for an end to the violence.
impacts millions of people worldwide, limiting their lives. Millions of individuals across the globe are not recognized as citizens of any country. This lack of nationality has severe implications for their lives, affecting their access to education, societal inclusion and economic opportunities. As of the end of 2023, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees () reported that 4.4 million people were stateless or of undetermined nationality. However, due to the lack of accurate data and the challenges in counting individuals without legal identity, the actual number is believed to be much higher.
Two Bajau girls in Mabul island are seen selling their catch of mostly shellfish, lobster, snails, sea cucumbers and sea urchins. The Bajau Laut are a sea-faring group that traditionally lived across the Sulu Sea on small wooden boats called lepa, getting everything they needed from the ocean. Due to the creation of maritime borders that disregarded the distribution of ethnic groups, as well as other modern developments that clashed with their nomadic way of life, new generations of Bajau Laut have been forced to settle on land, not recognized as citizens by any country. The denial of citizenship means stateless people are often unable to access basic rights and services, such as state education, water, healthcare, and legal employment, leaving them at higher risk of exploitation, discrimination and abuse.
In 2023, a youth-led movement received a grant from the GEF Small Grants Programme, implemented by , to aimed at raising awareness and preparing students to address the various issues affecting their community.
Learn about some of the most important newborn health warning signs. For more expert tips visit .
The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip is making health care especially difficult for pregnant women and children. The high cost of living makes essentials like baby clothes unaffordable. At 20$ for one piece of baby clothes, these are usually not affordable for the most vulnerable families, who were often displaced 4 or 5 times, carrying only what they had on their backs. , with partners, is making a significant difference in these communities by distributing 1,000 baby clothing kits and essential supplies, providing a lifeline of crucial assistance.
Amid the arid landscapes of Zinder, a migration-prone area in central-eastern Niger, 11-year-old Zara's journey back home sheds light on the battle against child trafficking. Zara was sent to Algeria by her mother to find work but was intercepted during the journey. According to the International Organization for Migration (), more than half of the child victims the involvement of friends and family in their recruitment into trafficking, especially where extreme poverty is common. The Centre for Victims of Trafficking, managed by the National Agency for the Fight against Trafficking in Persons and Illicit Migration with support from IOM, has become a sanctuary for survivors like Zara.
On average, one Palestinian child was killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, every two days since October 2023, a nearly three-and-a-half-fold increase from the previous nine months.
Globally, one in three victims of human trafficking is a child, and the majority of these trafficked children are girls. According to the 缅北禁地Office on Drugs and Crime (), children are twice as likely as adults to face violence during trafficking. The proliferation of online platforms poses additional risks, as children often connect to these sites without adequate safeguards. The World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (30 July) calls on States to prioritize the protection of children, strengthen laws, improve law enforcement and provide more resources to combat child trafficking.
Global childhood immunization coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million additional children un- and under-vaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to data published by the World Health Organization () and . The latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage 鈥 which provide the world鈥檚 largest and most comprehensive dataset on immunization trends for vaccinations against 14 diseases 鈥 underscore the need for ongoing catch-up, recovery and system-strengthening efforts. More than half of unvaccinated children live in the 31 countries with fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings, where children are especially vulnerable to preventable diseases.
Climate change is raising global temperatures and causing historic heat waves. More countries are facing hotter days more frequently, with more intensity and for longer periods. The heat stress caused by exposure to heat waves can negatively affect health and well-being, especially for infants and young children. As heat waves become more frequent and last longer, the need for urgent action grows stronger. Preparedness can protect vulnerable populations, especially children. encourages governments and partners to join the .