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  Her future. Her choice, at the right age! Together, we can work towards the end of #ChildMarriage in South Sudan and around the world. #ForEveryChild , a childhood pic.twitter.com/RwMvvM0kbP — UNICEF South Sudan (@unicefssudan) November 24, 2023 Her future. Her choice, at the right age! Together, we can work towards the end of #ChildMarriage in South Sudan and around the world. #ForEveryChild , a childhood pic.twitter.com/RwMvvM0kbP — UNICEF South Sudan (@unicefssudan) November 24, 2023

At the individual level, remaining hopeful and optimistic boost our morale especially during hard times. It helps people to have much better coping mechanisms and avoid going into depression. We all remain optimistic for a better future for everyone, especially for the next generation. I also recall during one of UNICEF’s senior managers’ workshops there was a session on apperceive enquiry. The heart of this session was to focus on what works and move on. The implicit message was to move on with optimism with what works and not to dwell on things that didn’t work. Was it fair to leave things that did not work unattended? You be the judge. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst At the institutional level such as the United Nations, the above seems to be the mantra to avoid difficult issues, giving hope to the people but not solving the problem in order ‘not to rock the boat’. How far can this approach take us in addressing the UN’s global agenda? Not far enough! There are many iss

The cup of Mercy is so small Its drops are few Too greedily We thirst to drink them all Mercy holds the well of life As songs and fables claim So humbly from this cup We seek the source of nourishment And we become the same In Mercy lifted up Our kindest acts of Love performed Above this almost-empty cup. ***** Click here for  more poems by Richard Morgan

Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to announce the following senior staff appointments. I know these senior leaders will deliver strong results in their new roles while advancing our core values. As always, we remain committed to achieving diverse and equitable representation in current and future senior staff appointments. Europe and Central Asia (ECAR) · Munir Mammadzade, Representative in Uzbekistan, has been appointed as Representative, Ukraine. · Paolo Marchi, Deputy Representative in Türkiye, has been appointed as Representative, Türkiye. · Saja Farooq Abdullah, Chief Field Services in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has been appointed as Representative, Azerbaijan. Eastern and Southern Africa (ESAR) · Christine Jaulmes, Representative in Kyrgyzstan, has been appointed as Representative, Madagascar. Latin America and the Caribbean (LACR) · Rafael Obregon, Representative in Paraguay, has been appointed as Representative, Nicaragua. · Victoria Colamarco, Deputy

The UN Secretary-General called on Wednesday for the international community to move towards a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states. This aligns with longstanding UN resolutions supporting two independent states living side-by-side in peace. The comments came on the annual International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. "It is long past time to move in a determined, irreversible way towards a two-state solution, on the basis of United Nations resolutions and international law," said Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the U.N. office in Geneva, delivering a speech authored by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.  This would mean "Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security with Jerusalem as the capital of both states." A two-state solution would see a Palestinian state created in the West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel. Issues like ensuring security for Israel and determi

Elizabeth Throssell , Spokesperson for  UN Human Rights (OHCHR)  has deplored Iran's execution of  Hamidreza Azari,  a 17-year-old boy last Friday.  The boy had been convicted of murder.  He was 16 at the time of the alleged crime. The Spokesperson also deplored the execution on the same day of  22-year-old, Milad Zohrevand, the eighth person executed in relation to the September 2022 protests sparked by Mahsa Amini's death in custody. The UN said his trial lacked due process guarantees.  The UN called on Iran to stop applying the death penalty and establish a moratorium, limiting capital punishment only to the most serious offenses. It also urged Iran to cease using criminal proceedings to punish protestors exercising free speech rights. Iran carries out the highest number of executions, disproportionately affecting minorities. At least 582 executions occurred last year, the highest since 2015, showing a steep rise from 2021. The UN statement demonstrates grave concern over I

The images this week of children and women in Israel and the State of Palestine being released and reunited with their loved ones is a ray of hope. No child should be held hostage or in captivity. They need to be home where they belong. — Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) November 28, 2023

  On my visit to #Sudan last week, I was able to appreciate the work of frontline workers. Without them, no basic services could be provided. This is the story of a displaced community midwife who is an internally displaced herself but works to provide services to those around her. https://t.co/go34IGVybL — Adele Khodr (@AdeleKhodr) November 28, 2023

Article contributed by Niloufar Pourzand This opinion piece by Hasmik Egian and Mouin Rabbani argues that Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, is unfit for his position. • Khan has prioritized cases referred to the court by the UN Security Council, including Ukraine, while ignoring Palestine. • Khan's actions have damaged the credibility of the court. "To anyone paying close attention, Khan’s message was clear. The “inventory before the Office” that was subject to its review consisted of cases that had not been referred to the ICC by the Security Council and included the two separate “situations” — Palestine and Afghanistan. Both investigations have been vociferously denounced by the United States, and in 2019 Washington revoked Bensouda’s US visa. In 2020, it smacked her and other Court officials with sanctions normally reserved for designated criminals. While these punitive steps have since been revoked, the US remains opposed to these probes. By

  See full details in OCHA Sitrep of 27 November 2023 Rescuing vaccines OCHA said that on Sunday the joint UN convoy collected 7,600 doses of vaccines for various diseases from the Gaza Ministry of Health warehouse, where they would have become unusable due to a lack of refrigeration in the north, and successfully brought them to the south.  “After thorough inspections to ensure their validity, the vaccines will be utilized to enhance routine immunization, which has been hampered by a shortage of supplies and ongoing hostilities,” OCHA stressed.  ‘Hunger, desperation and destruction’ Humanitarians reaching the north of the Strip for the first time since it was sealed off by Israeli military operations weeks ago bore witness to scenes of desolation. On Sunday, the UN World Food Programme ( WFP ) and the UN Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) conducted a joint mission to deliver vital food assistance to Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City and to surrounding areas.  “It’s a promising step, but the team

  Here is a summary of the key issues at the upcoming COP28 climate negotiations: - Assessing Progress: The main focus will be a first-time global stocktake of whether countries are on track to meet Paris Agreement goals of limiting warming to under 2°C and aiming for 1.5°C. With progress lagging, contention persists over whether all or just historically high-emitting wealthy nations should act. - Phasing Out Fossil Fuels: Debates will center on committing to begin phasing out use of coal, oil and gas. The EU and vulnerable countries are insisting on this, but opposition persists from nations like Russia. The stance of host UAE and its oil-CEO president remains uncertain. - Emerging Emissions Technologies: The UAE and other fossil fuel economies want greater focus on expensive technologies like carbon capture that are not yet widespread but could justify ongoing fossil fuel use. Critics worry this detracts from transition priorities. - Scaling Up Renewables: Broad backing exists for go

Abdullahi Mire grew up in the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex in northeastern Kenya with its population today of more than 240,000 registered refugees, mostly from Somalia. Click here for the original article At that point there were over 60,000 students enrolled up to secondary school level, but despite that, the demand for teachers, supplies and classroom space, has long outstripped supply, leading to poor educational outcomes. Educational pioneer Of those managing to complete secondary school only a small number have been able to carry on into tertiary education. Mr. Mire spent 23 years living in the Dadaab complex himself, from the early 1990s, and eventually went on to graduate with a diploma in journalism and public relations in 2013 from Kenya’s Kenyatta University. After working for the UN migration agency IOM , in Somalia, specialising in the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants, he realised that without being literate, many were being brainwas

Sultan al Jabr This is a long article. Here is a summary of the key points from the article: The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) climate change conference takes place November 30-December 12, 2023 in Dubai, UAE. Over 70,000 attendees are expected, including world leaders, though not U.S. President Biden. Pope Francis plans to attend, a first for a pope. This COP will be a critical "stocktake" assessing progress 5 years after the Paris Agreement. A September report found current national emissions pledges fall far short of Paris goals, so COP28 launches a 2-year effort to bulk up ambitions. The appointment of Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil, as COP28 president has drawn protests but he vows to portray fossil fuels as part of emissions solutions. Still, distrust lingers over this unprecedented fossil fuel industry leader role. Other key issues in Dubai include finalizing a Loss and Damage Fund to aid nations harmed by climate change, assessing updated goa

Threats from the air and ground In an update from southern Gaza, UN Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) spokesperson James Elder said that a doctor from Al-Shifa hospital in the north had told him that the threats to children were “very much from the air and now very much on the ground”, in the form of diarrhoea and respiratory infections. “He was terrified as a medical professional in terms of the disease outbreak that is that is lurking here and how  that will devastate children whose immune systems and lack of food…is making them perilously weak, ” Mr. Elder added. As negotiations continue for the release of more hostages in return for a prolongation of the pause in fighting, the UNICEF spoke of his dismay at seeing so many youngsters fighting for their lives, “with horrendous wounds of war, (lying) in carparks on makeshift mattresses, in gardens everywhere, doctors having to make horrendous decisions on who they prioritize”. Deadly delays Another boy whose leg had been blown off in the viol

  “I asked the auntie, why does Omar keep closing his eyes? And she said...he can't bear the thought that he's lost them in this world, but also might lose them in his imagination” - @1james_elder on meeting a 7-year old boy who lost his parents in #Gaza 🎙️⤵️ https://t.co/hFT8BbDLjm pic.twitter.com/WraRfehOP3 — UN News (@UN_News_Centre) November 27, 2023

The UN AIDS chief Winnie Byanyima warns that global progress against HIV/AIDS is under threat due to an unprecedented human rights backlash that is stigmatizing groups most at risk. Countries with anti-LGBTQ laws or that criminalize sex work and drug use are seeing infections rise or plateau.  Stigma, discrimination, and lack of sex education exacerbate the issue. Byanyima said this "anti-human rights, anti-democratic" pushback jeopardizes efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, an achievable but not guaranteed goal. While some African countries are on track, infections are rising in regions like Eastern Europe and North Africa. In 2022 there were 39 million people globally living with HIV, including 1.3 million new infections and 630,000 AIDS-related deaths despite treatment access scaling up.   Byanyima called for recognizing, engaging and funding community organizations to help fight stigma and wider backlash. Other challenges include sustaining funding and

UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths will travel to Amman on Wednesday for talks on potentially reopening the Kerem Shalom border crossing to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza from Israel. Before the current conflict, Kerem Shalom was used for over 60% of truckloads entering Gaza. Currently, the only route for aid into Gaza is the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, which was not designed for cargo. Griffiths stated "We need more than one crossing" and said exploring reopening Kerem Shalom should be discussed, as it would "hugely add scope to the response."  However, a Western diplomat said there is no prospect of Israel opening Kerem Shalom for now, as their troops are located in the area. Israel has not yet commented. Since last week's fragile ceasefire, around 200 aid trucks have entered Gaza daily through Rafah, but this is far below the level needed. Griffiths acknowledged more aid is required in Gaza but delivery faces constraints beyond UN control

Article contributed for sharing on News & Views by Baquer Namazi. As David Bassiouni has stressed, the US has a leading role to play in bringing about lasting peace and ending the carnage. Baquer Here is a summary: The article argues that the current Israel-Hamas ceasefire in Gaza should be extended, but that should only be the starting point for more comprehensive US-led diplomatic efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Simply returning to an untenable status quo after temporary fighting halts will only lead to repeated cycles of violence. An extended ceasefire now could facilitate more hostage returns, ease the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, and reduce escalation risks. However, the US needs a broader policy shift beyond temporary deescalation. This includes ending unconditional support for Israeli actions, abandoning the failed model of bilateral Israel-Arab state normalization, and convening multilateral talks based on international law and Arab Peace Initiative p

This is a long article.  Here is a summary: Disruptions to health systems during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a dangerous backslide in childhood vaccination rates globally. Over 60 million children have missed out on standard immunizations. This is now resulting in severe outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases that primarily kill children, like measles, diphtheria, and polio across multiple countries. Deaths from measles spiked 43% in 2022 compared to 2021. “The decline in vaccination coverage during the Covid-19 pandemic led us directly to this situation of rising diseases and child deaths,” said Ephrem Lemango, associate director of immunization for UNICEF, which supports delivery of vaccines to almost half the world’s children every year. “With each new outbreak, the toll on vulnerable communities rises. We need to move fast now and make the investment needed to catch up the children that were missed during the pandemic.” Many children missed their initial shots and have no

We recently concluded the 6th @WHO Montreux Collaborative, bringing together leading experts and practitioners on public finance for universal health coverage. UNICEF shared insights on budgeting for health & addressing bottlenecks in health procurement. https://t.co/XKT7zxN4kO pic.twitter.com/ysCUtR1hD8 — UNICEF Social Policy (@UNICEFSocPolicy) November 27, 2023 The Montreux Collaborative is a platform for collaboration between countries and development partners with the aim of generating and disseminating global and country evidence on how to make budgets work for health, with a specific focus on transforming budget formulation and execution practices to make them more agile and responsive to health sector needs.   The Montreux Collaborative started in 2014, when WHO convened the first meeting in Montreux, Switzerland. Since then, biennial meetings bring together more than 2,000 experts and partners interested in the critical relationship between fiscal space, public financi

A U.N. official who took part in a humanitarian aid convoy to northern Gaza said on Sunday aid groups were on track to deliver the biggest shipment in over a month, describing thin, gaunt residents slaking their thirst as soon as water arrived.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described an extended truce between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas on Monday as "a glimpse of hope and humanity," but warned it was not enough time to meet the aid needs of the Gaza Strip.

I once for a few years lived in a village right at the southern tip of Sweden. There was only one factory, it made machines for making sneakers. It was owned by a Jew, who came as a refugee. He was highly respected and looked up to and employed half the village. I worked for him during the summer holidays. I never heard a bad word about any Jew until I was perhaps 20 years old after the 1976 war. I was at the time in schools where there were pro-Palestinian left-wingers. Also, the Swedish Nazis, of whom there were many, burnt their brown shirts and got very quiet after 1945.

Human Rights Watch: Evidence Points to Misfired Rocket but Full Investigation Needed "The explosion that killed and injured many civilians at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on October 17, 2023, resulted from an apparent rocket-propelled munition, such as those commonly used by Palestinian armed groups, that hit the hospital grounds, Human Rights Watch said today. While misfires are frequent, further investigation is needed to determine who launched the apparent rocket and whether the laws of war were violated."

See also "Photography is a way of life" by Ellen Tolmie This TED Talk appeared on YouTube on 22 June 2017  Despite facing confronting events while working for the United Nations, photographing distressing scenes of famine and civil war, John always chose to put humanity first in his work. Believing that human dignity comes before photojournalism, John describes the photos he consciously did not take. He also shares personal anecdotes from his experiences with Audrey Hepburn, Mother Theresa and Michael Jackson.  Despite facing confronting events while working for the United Nations, photographing distressing scenes of famine and civil war, John always chose to put humanity first in his work. Believing that human dignity comes before photojournalism, John describes the photos he consciously did not take. He also shares personal anecdotes from his experiences with Audrey Hepburn, Mother Theresa and Michael Jackson. John Isaac worked as a photojournalist for the United Natio

Amid the need to focus on Gaza, it is easy for us to forget that Lebanon and Syria have also suffered from recent rocket fire and artillery.   So far Lebanon has seen 107 people killed in exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces.  This number includes 14 civilians. The chance of a spill-over from the war in Gaza and the West Bank remains, most especially in Iraq, but also in Israel's border areas with Lebanon and Syria. Tom

  The four-day truce between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas has "allowed us to get the biggest distribution of aid to the north [of Gaza] in a month", UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said Sunday to FRANCE 24. "We need a lasting peace or we are just going to see more devastation and more and more deaths of children. [...] We cannot turn this [aid] off in two days' time and return to the bombardment of children" in the Palestinian territory, he said.

Christine Langen, head of the UNICEF Lörrach Group, with die Kids Gruppe Since my retirement mid 2002 I have been cooperating with the UNICEF Groups in Weil-Lörrach. I continue to do so even after I moved to Berlin for health reason. In Berlin, I am near to my two sons and their families. UNICEF Germany relies entirely on groups of volunteers. These UNICEF groups are found in more than 170 cities, with about 8000 volunteers, all over Germany. Since 2005, Christine Langen heads the UNICEF Working Group in Lörrach. The group has 70 members; they are organised in a kids group (8-12 years), the junior ambassador group (13-17 years), students (18+ years) and the adult group. They work together, though often pursue different activities tailored to their audiences. The Lörrach Group has very strongly supported the awareness campaigns for the release of our dear former colleague Baquer Namazi. This year the Lörrach Group celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special event for children by chil

    Welcome to a brief overview of articles that appeared last week on our website. Please don't stop here - be sure to browse the full list of articles that appeared this week. xunicefnewsandviews.blogspot.com

 On the evening of November 21st dozens of people rallied in front of the building where the Israeli National Fund for UNICEF is located calling for more action to release women, children and elderly among hostages held in Gaza.

Note: the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women is 25 November 2023 As we approach the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and 16 days of activism - leading to the International Human Rights Day - 10 th of December - let us focus on the violence girls and women have/are experiencing in Gaza/Occupied Palestine and the violence Israeli girls/women have/are facing. War/ conflict/ weapons/ bombardments/ sanctions/occupation/imprisonment/hostage taking etc. remain the starkest kinds of violence girls and women face.

A 2014 video art piece by Banksy, created for the WithSyria campaign, is gaining renewed attention on social media in light of the current situation in Gaza.

“The worst ever.” Those are the stark words of @UNReliefChief Martin Griffiths, about the death and destruction in Gaza. Having worked in the field for decades, he adds “I don’t say that lightly.” Watch our full conversation. pic.twitter.com/FMo6ZqKYUo — Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) November 22, 2023

Nasreen Abu Kamil, one of the first Palestinian prisoners released by Israel as part of the truce

As Unicef Sr. Photography Editor 1990-2013, Ellen worked closely with John, including on a 2008 assignment (after his UN retirement) to cover Unicef programmes in Namibia. Schoolgirls in Karachi, Pakistan, 1983.          © Unicef/UNI46382/John Isaac John Isaac is one of the best-ever United Nations staff photographers and the most accomplished UN photographer during his tenure there (1978-98). He died on 1 November after a brief illness, age 80. He often said that “photography is a way of life” and, having found it, that is how he lived.