UNICEF’s Post

“Children do not start wars and they have no power to end them, yet their lives are devastated by conflict.” Read the full statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on continued violence in the Middle East. https://uni.cf/486Gqdh

No more broken dreams. No more lost potential. No more inequality. It's time to bridge the gap and ensure every girl has the opportunity to learn, grow and succeed. Girls don’t want to just get to the classroom – they want a future of equal opportunity, where everyone can thrive. #GirlGoals https://uni.cf/3NiBGHK

Children in Lebanon are living in fear. UNICEF is providing children who are displaced with essential needs, including mental health support. What they really need is a ceasefire.

Premature babies are fighting for survival in incubators. Injured children are in intensive care units. Sudden displacement orders in north Gaza, aid access restrictions and relentless bombardments are condemning children to unimaginable horrors and death. They need a ceasefire NOW.

Every girl has the right to a safe environment where she can live without fear of violence. 14-year-old Khalia from Kyrgyzstan dreams of a world where girls are protected and empowered to fulfil their potential. Let’s make this a reality. #GirlGoals 📸 UNICEF Kyrgyzstan

What do you want people around you to know about being a girl? That’s what we asked girls around the world. And this is what they said. From healthcare, violence and malnutrition to barriers to education and skills, adolescent girls still face enormous challenges just because they are girls. But girls are powerful. They are leading change and advocating for themselves. Let’s support every girl, everywhere, to achieve her goals. #GirlGoals 📸 UNICEF

At only 13, Fiyha is a leader, advocate and #GirlGoals champion. As president of the girls' club at her school, established by UNICEF and partners, Fiyha has been passionately advocating against child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) for years. Prior to the ongoing conflict in Sudan that saw schools closed across the country, Fiyha and her peers led action through community dialogues, songs and door-to-door outreach, saving girls from harmful practices. Yet, seven months ago, Fiyha faced the same threat as her relatives secretly planned to force her into child marriage. With the support of her mother, Zahra—who herself married young and vowed to shield her children from a similar fate—Fiyha courageously stood up for herself and reported to Salwa, the local girls' club locality supervisor, leading to the cancellation of the marriage preparations. "If I wasn’t empowered by the club, I would be married today. My education would have been interrupted and I would be in a world different from the one I am in now." Leading by example, Fiyha continues her mission with dreams of becoming a lawyer advocating for laws that safeguard children from violence. Let's celebrate inspiring champions like Fiyha and girls organizing around the world against child marriage. 💙 #DayoftheGirl

Girls need collective action to protect their rights, remove the barriers holding them back and achieve their goals. With the right resources and opportunities, the potential of the world’s 620 million adolescent girls is limitless. Together, we can build a better future for all. We need to invest in girls’ movements and champion girls’ voices to make that happen. #GirlGoals #DayoftheGirl https://uni.cf/3NiBGHK

This marks the fourth time within a year that families in Jabalia, Gaza, have been ordered to leave their homes. Many have returned after each displacement, unable to find safety elsewhere. Parties to the conflict must agree on an immediate ceasefire to prevent more suffering and save the lives of children. Full statement: https://uni.cf/4eC5KKA