XUNICEF News and Views

 

The following letter from the President of FAFICS was sent to members of AFICS.  Note that the full letter follows the summary below.  UN General Assembly Requests Comprehensive Review of UN Pension Scheme Author: Jerry Barton, FAFICS President Publication: FAFICS (Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants) Date: 26 January 2026 Summary: The UN General Assembly, as part of its approval of the Pension Fund's budget on 31 December 2025, invited the Pension Board to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire UN pension scheme.

Advancing Every Child’s Right to Identity Mia Dambach Iris Amaldi Executive Director Child Identity Protection On 28 January, I briefed the Committee on the Rights of the Child members on the child’s right to identity, with particular focus on birth registration.

  WHO statement on notification of withdrawal of the United States 24 January 2026   Statement   As a founding member of the World Health Organization (WHO), the United States of America has contributed significantly to many of WHO’s greatest achievements, including the eradication of smallpox, and progress against many other public health threats including polio, HIV, Ebola, influenza, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and more.

Walls of Tears ( a.ka. Walls of Shame) are needed in every city as a reminder of the lives of children so needlessly lost. Good project for XUNICEF volunteer community action? Tom Wall of Tears: 50ft Brooklyn mural pays tribute to children killed in Gaza David Smith, The Guardian, January 30, 2026 Click here for the article Summary Artist Phil Buehler has created a massive memorial installation in Brooklyn, New York, honoring 18,457 children killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023 and July 19, 2025.  The Wall of Tears, a 50-foot long, 10-foot tall mural on waterproof vinyl, lists the children's names in the order they died, based on Gaza health ministry data. The installation includes photographs and stories of individual children drawn from Guardian and Washington Post reports.  The memorial opened Thursday at 12 Grattan Street in Brooklyn, timed to coincide with the second anniversary of the death of five-year-old Hind Rajab, who bled out among six family members' bodies...

I am happy to report some good news about possibilities for News & Views to continue beyond the end of March. We invited all members of XUNICEF to participate in an online discussion on Wednesday January 28th on the question, "Replace or Continue News & Views after 31 March".  We included a link to a very short questionnaire asking whether members would like the publication to continue and if so, whether they would agree to help in managing or leading after the end of March.

The results of this newly published study show that the risks of mortality during pregnancy in the US are far higher than previously thought. This result feeds into the continuing debate in the US over the supposed risks of abortion, but it also should add to thinking about the risks of pregnancy globally. Tom

Here's something for XUNICEF readers.  This ISW update is describing how Ukrainian children caught up in the invasions, first 2014 taking Crimea, then 2022 taking some of the eastern border territories, are now being turned into Russian soldiers fighting and dying in combat against their homeland.   This issue seems to get no coverage in the media, nor in UN related reports that I'm aware of.  

 

Interesting info about UNJSPF in BAFUNCS newsletter Rafah Pensions to rise in April UN pensions on the Dollar track will rise by 2.7 per cent in April 2026, while those on the local Sterling track will go up by 3.4 percent. These figures reflect the movement in the consumer price indices of the USA and the UK, respectively, in the 12 months to December 2025.

Please find herewith my tribute to Dr. Bill Foege, who left this world this past weekend, but whose legacy continues to inspire many of us.  Kul Gautam Tribute to Dr. William Foege: A Giant of Global Public Health by Kul Chandra Gautam ∙ This weekend, the world lost a true giant of global public health. Tributes are pouring in from public health scholars and leaders around the world, mourning the passing of Dr. William (Bill) Foege, a pioneer of the vaccination strategies that helped eradicate smallpox, a highly contagious, often disfiguring, and deadly disease that killed an estimated 300 million people in the 20th century alone. The global eradication of smallpox stands among humanity’s greatest public health triumphs. In a sad coincidence, his passing came shortly after the United States announced its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), a decision that deeply distressed Dr. Foege, as it did most of the world’s leading public health experts and institutio...

Shocking news! Oscar Dear friends, It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Howard G. Dale, a British citizen and long-time resident of Briarcliff Manor, NY. Howard enjoyed a long career at UNICEF New York, where he met Eirah Gorre-Dale, to whom he was married for almost 40 years until her passing in 2020. “H” as he was known by his family, was an avid photographer https://www.hgdphotography.org/portfolios and cat lover. Condolences to the family can be made on his personal Facebook account https://www.facebook.com/howard.dale.52 . In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Briarcliff Manor Historical Society, where Howard dedicated so much of his time and energy over the last few years https://www.briarcliffhistory.org/donate . He is survived by two daughters and five grandchildren. There will be a small, informal gathering of family and friends on Saturday, 31 January in Briarcliff Manor - details will be posted on https://www.facebook.com/Jgorreborjavidal

In my pre-UNICEF days I worked for a couple of NGOs including CARE in Bangladesh, so I have always appreciated the efforts of CARE and other NGOs to widen our awareness that there are many crises that never make the headlines. Note that 9 of the 10 crises they identify are in Africa.   Tom CARE Crisis Report: Ten Overlooked Humanitarian Crises That Didn't Make Headlines in 2025 Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE; Charlene Pellsah Ambali, Assistant CARE Country Director in Zimbabwe CARE January 28, 2026 Click here for the article Click here for the report Summary CARE released its tenth annual Crisis Report analyzing global online media coverage of humanitarian crises from January 1 to September 30, 2025.

 

Congratulations to Gianni Murzi whose article Hospital of Hope was recently publishedd by Dodho Magazine.  The article builds on a narrative and stunning photos of the hospital at Chokwe Mozambique during a time crisis in TB and HIV when Gianni was serving as a young doctor responsible for the hospital and the surrounding region. 

Dear colleagues  UNICEF Zimbabwe and Wild Horizons Partner to Build Climate-Resilient Schools in Victoria Falls  - please refer to the detailed article posted below this message. We are excited with an optional opportunity to visit the UNICEF-Wild Horizons partnership supported climate resilient schools in Victoria Falls.  

Unknown at best Predicting the future is inherently a risky proposition except for the astronomers who are able to predict celestial events such as lunar and solar eclipse long before astrophysics became an academic faculty. Beyond astronomy, based on current trends in the polarised geopolitics, economy, some of the destructive technology and human's greed, our future will most likely be not so pretty for the majority. The history of our future generations will be very different from what we have read about our ancestors and the world.

Another piece of bad news.   John Gilmartin UK loses measles elimination status Author: Nick Triggle, Health correspondent Publication: BBC News Date: 1 day ago (January 26, 2026) URL: Click here for the article Summary: The World Health Organization has announced that the UK has lost its measles elimination status due to the spread of cases in 2024, when there were 3,600 suspected cases. Elimination status indicates no sustained transmission of the disease. 

 

  Subject: Update on the 2026 UNJSPF Holistic Review and Your Pension Security Dear Retirees and Beneficiaries,

Grave Violations Against Children in Armed Conflict Reach Unprecedented Levels amidst Shrinking Humanitarian Funding Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Monday, 26 January 2026 Click here for the article Click here for the full report Summary The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict released a report to the Human Rights Council revealing that grave violations against children reached unprecedented levels for the third consecutive year in 2024, with similar patterns continuing in 2025. 

  Dear Esteemed Participant, Get ready for an unforgettable evening where Africa comes alive in style, sound, and soul! As part of your stay in the majestic Victoria Falls, you are warmly invited to the XUNICEF African Day Gala Dinner, proudly hosted by Shearwater, at the iconic Elephant Hills Resort. This is more than a dinner —  it’s a celebration of Africa , bringing together guests from across the globe for one magical night of culture, connection, and colour. DATE: 12 MARCH AT 1900 HRS  THEME: AFRICAN DAY  DRESS CODE: African Attire. Bold. Elegant. Traditional. Modern. Be unapologetically African — or beautifully inspired by it!  WHAT TO EXPECT An African-themed décor  A curated evening of elegance, rhythm, and storytelling A unique cultural exchange where each guest is invited to share their country’s favourite song — a beautiful way to let Africa (and the world) speak through music Fine dining in a setting as breathtaking as the Falls themselves Come...

 

Dear Cathy, I feel deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Dr. William Foege, a true giant of global public health and one of UNICEF's greatest champions. Kul Gautam

Mark Tully, Journalist and Author, Dies at 90 Click here for the article Sir William Mark Tully, one of the most influential voices in Indian journalism and broadcasting, died in a Delhi hospital on January 25, 2026, at age 90. 

Twenty-one years ago, a different spectacle unfolded for bleary-eyed international civil servants, provided they strayed from their cubicles into Central Park. Before you go on, turn the volume up and click the button for the hymn of all UNICEF officials.

Many nuggets of wisdom by ED Mathew, a former UN Spokesman & freelance journalist: "The UN is financially wounded and politically bruised, but not irrelevant. It remains the only universal forum where democracies & autocracies still cooperate on humanitarian relief, development finance, global health, peacebuilding", and other matters that are relevant to the whole of humanity - rich and poor, big and small. To survive, the UN must adapt and reform, of course. But no country is an island or a fortress in the 21st century. And no country is indispensable. In an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world, multilateralism is indispensable. Even if the UN were dismantled temporarily, it would have to be reinvented anew. I recall in the 1960s, Indonesia's mercurial leader, Sukarno, quit the UN and tried to form a Conference of the New Emerging Forces (CONEFO) as an alternative. CONEFO did not last very long, as Sukarno's successor Suharto quietly ...

Unbelievably crude. Calling WHO the "so-called World Health Organization" in typical Trumpian style. Full of false & fanciful accusations aimed at the domestic MAGA audience. No recognition of one of the greatest organizations in the world that led the eradication of smallpox, and made great strides A sad day for the US and the world. Kul   

New Year's message from Rosemarie McClean and Robert van der Zee on the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund

Dear All Hope you are doing well. Let me take this opportunity to share with you the following news:

Echoing Canadian PM @MarkJCarney 's warning, Mary Robinson of @TheElders , equates the Gaza "Board of Peace" to a "Board of the Power of One" that attempts to undermine the UN Security Council & the rules-based international order. Kul

 

The good news is its going down, After reaching a new crown.

Hi - I R\received the below from an XUNICEF friend who is a member of AFICS. Doreen Lobo Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Terminates Agreement with Mount Sinai Health System

Trump hosts signing ceremony for Board of Peace in Davos despite reservations from key allies AP News January 22, 2026  Click here for the article   The list of governments agreeing to join President Trump's Board of Peace grew following a signing ceremony at Davos on January 22, 2026.