Education is a fundamental human right. For children and youth caught up in emergency situations and armed conflict, education provides not only continuity of learning, but also a sense of normalcy and the key to a different future. On the International Day to Protect Education from Attacks we must remember that assaults against schools can have serious, long-term physical and psychological repercussions for students and teachers. Governments should ensure that places of education remain safe havens for children and education personnel.

Teachers, schools, families, communities, policy-makers and young people all have essential roles to play in preventing and responding to school-related, gender-based violence (SRGBV), affirms UNESCO. In this video, SRGBV prevention advocates from Asia-Pacific and beyond, share their diverse yet complementary perspectives on why efforts to #EndSRGBV and ensure that all education settings are #SafeToLearn require that all actors work together.

The pandemic deepened pre-existing gender inequalities, but Gloria is advocating for girls continued education through UNESCO’s Keeping girls in the picture  campaign.  

UNICEF presents 14-year-old Djeneba's poem which reveals a vivid picture of a young boy struggling to survive because of conflict in Burkina Faso

Compared to adults, infants and children are uniquely affected by heat stress, leaving them more vulnerable to its short- and long-term effects. Pregnant women and fetuses are also vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. UNICEF brings us some heat wave safety tips.

A new global UNESCO report on technology in education highlights the lack of appropriate governance and regulation. Countries are urged to set their own terms for the way technology is designed and used in education so that it never replaces in-person, teacher-led instruction, and supports the shared objective of quality education for all. The report calls to put the learner front and centre while making sure that the focus is on learning outcomes, not on the technology itself. The global launch of the new 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report takes place on 26-27 July in hybrid format.

The meals offered by Shree Kakani Ganesh Primary School, in Nepal are part of a broader effort to give young school children a healthy start. With more than one-fourth of Nepal’s children under 5 suffering from malnutrition, the school meals are a game changer. Under WFP’s Home-Grown School Feeding initiative, children are fed with different nutritious hot meals daily resulting in fewer children missing school. Food is sourced from local smallholder farmers which in turn has seen an increase in the local communities income and strengthened economy while improving family dynamics in Nepal.

Technological advancements and shifting labour market dynamics increasingly call for agile and adaptable skill sets. It is crucial that young people are well equipped with skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship. On this World Youth Skills Day (July 15), let’s unite in recognizing the potential of young people as catalysts for change and commit to providing them with the skills and opportunities they need to build a prosperous and sustainable world for all. Together, we can shape a brighter future in which no young person is left behind.

Benazir and her husband lost a child amidst the tumult of the floods and have since faced challenges trying to feed their other children. The impact of last year’s historic floods will be felt for years to come by children and their families. In these climate-related crises children suffer most, with those in the poorest communities bearing the biggest burden. More than 1.5 million boys and girls are already severely malnourished, a number that will only rise in the absence of safe water and proper sanitation. UNICEF is training teachers on psychosocial care and health care and has established hundreds of temporary learning centres in the worst-affected districts.

It is an alarming fact that there are more children engaged in child labour in sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world combined. Not all this work is considered child labour. Age‑appropriate tasks that are not hazardous and do not interfere with a child’s education can be positive for the family and even contribute to the inter-generational transfer of valuable skills that boost families’ food security. Here are four examples of the work FAO is doing to tackle this issue from the field right up to the global level, to ensure that children have a childhood.

"You hear some strong policymakers telling us our children are our future. They are not your future. You are the past; they are the present and they are their own future.”

A pediatrician by training, Dr. Najat Maalla M'jid has always been dedicated to rescuing children from suffering. Now United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, she works tirelessly to protect young people around the world. “What I learned in my life, it's the eyes. […] When you are speaking with children, when you have light in their eyes, it's still possible. When the light switches off, it’s too late.”

Half of the world’s children are exposed to violence every year, often leaving devastating, lasting impacts on their mental health. In this episode, Najat Maalla M'jid reflects on the importance of rapid intervention in cases of violence against children and the extraordinary courage and resilience of youth.

Photo credit: ©World Organization of the Scout Movement

WHO's presents Jonathan's Miracle Feet through The Health for All Film Festival which is an initiative to connect people joining the movement for health promotion through films. 

Observed on 12 June, World Day Against Child Labour serves as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labour. For this year’s observance, the International Labour Organization (ILO) seeks to reinvigorate international action to achieve social justice and the elimination of child labour. ILO also calls for the universal ratification of the convention of the minimum age for admission to employment. Towards this end, a high-level event takes place today. Follow the live event on UN Web TV and take action to #EndChildLabour!

Nearly two weeks after Cyclone Mocha, a grim certainty looms as the coastal areas of Myanmar and Bangladesh enters monsoon season. The cyclone has sent food prices soaring and wiped-out people’s slender food stocks. But now Mocha’s devastation has only deepened hunger already sharpened by the country’s conflict and political and economic crises. WFP has distributed hot meals and emergency food assistance to thousands of people in the immediate aftermath of the storm. A funding shortfall is threatening WFP's response in both countries.

A red alert for children’s health: Routine immunization coverage dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest edition of The State of the World’s Children report launched today explores the causes and the steps we must take to make sure that no child is left behind. As the flagship publication of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the report was first published in 1980, focusing each year on a key issue affecting children. These have ranged from children with disabilities, conflict and war, child labour, urbanization, and early childhood development.