XUNICEF News and Views

Had a fun Thai street food lunch with Erma yesterday.

 

Article shared by Niloufar Pourzand "The United States is extending its reach to radically shift its role in the United Nations system to reflect its policies on language, culture and funding under the Trump administration."

Well, it's spring and with summer not far behind....it means the start of various parades marching along through Manhattan. 

Video shared by Angela Raven Roberts Greetings, Following up from my earlier note on looking at Disasters. This is the current and very interesting project that is going on at Tufts University looking at famine data over time and now and what that means for future prediction and prevention.

Following the nomination of Zimbabwe during the February 2025 XUNICEF Reunion in Manilla, we are thrilled to invite you on this exciting journey of the discovery of Zimbabwe around February/March 2026 - on a journey which will take you on an exploration of the Victoria Falls, one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World, while having fun reconnecting with friends and creating lasting memories.

Shared by Doreen Lobo 1. In the 1400s a law was set forth in England that a man was allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have 'the rule of thumb.'

Article shared by Horst Cerni We are still in the Easter Season and under the "spell" of the death of Pope Francis. I was impressed by the sermon of Cardinal Re at the funeral and wondered if it shouldn't be highlighted in our blog, at least the part about wars etc.

Web post shared by Niloufar Pourzand From Ian Richards Let us show solidarity with our colleagues at UNHCR and WFP as more devastating news emerges of job cuts.

Article shared by Robert Cohen Click here for the article Summary Uncertainty continues surrounding US funding for the UN under Donald Trump’s administration, highlighting major cuts already made to voluntary contributions and warning of potential threats to assessed contributions.

Article shared by Kul Gautam At the recent IMF/World Bank meetings, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the Trump administration's "America First" credo did not mean "America Alone".

Dear UNICEF Colleagues: I am happy to share that my wife, Diana, has been working on a middle-grade eco-adventure novel through multiple UNICEF country postings.

With great sadness we pass along the news of the death of Ute Deseniss-Gros. May she rest in eternal peace.

  Growing up, I often heard that relentless pursuit makes dreams come true. For many of my young friends, that dream meant professional success and wealth. I didn’t give it much thought—until my perspective shifted after becoming a journalist.

 

 

 

  Your COLA Letter is now available in MSS

Article shared by Richard Bridle Perhaps worthy of inclusion in the newsletter. Richard Click here for the article Summary The Trump administration is reportedly preparing sweeping changes to U.S. engagement with multilateral institutions, including the UN, World Bank, IMF, and over 20 other international organizations.

Puns and groaners "Lexophile" describes those that have a love for words, such as "you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish", or "To write with a broken pencil is pointless."

Dear All, We regret to announce the sudden demise of Mr. Bhushan Kumar Malik, our retired colleague on 23 April 2025 at Delhi after a brief illness.

Article shared by Tom McDermott 'Trump washing' of websites is continuing - not just among UN agencies but also among major NGOs. This article focuses on 'climate-cleansing', but we may expect similar changes on DEI and human rights issues.

Article shared by Tom McDermott Interesting to see the IDF admitting that their forces carried out the attack. 

Twitter post and article shared by Tom McDermott   Last night, 6 children reportedly injured in attack on residential area in #Kyiv This follows a week of devastation, with 1 child reported killed in Kherson & injuries to others across #Ukraine We say it again. Stop the use of explosive weapons on civilian areas #ForEveryChild pic.twitter.com/eZACH5QK6i — UNICEF Ukraine (@UNICEF_UA) April 24, 2025

Article shared by Lou Mendez FYI Our UNFCU falls under the NCUA to operate in the US….thus could be some clouds forming??

THE BEAST ON A BUSY ??? BUS Working for UNICEF for many years, taught me a lot about transport and logistics – lessons which I found useful after leaving the agency.

Three nationalities - Australian, Jamaican and German  met on St.Croix, US Virgin Islands" I didn’t realize how useful Facebook could be, until a former colleague, whom I hadn’t seen for more than thirty years, wrote to my FB address, and on Monday, March 24, Marjorie Newman-Williams (previously Newman-Black) and her husband Gil and I met in Christiansted, Sr.Croix.

Poem shared by Sree Gururaja By an unknown poet and forwarded repeatedly in social media. Sharing in reverence to Pope Francis.  Sree

Article shared by Tom McDermott Every evening at 7 p.m., the phone rang at Holy Family Church in Gaza City. On the line—night after night for more than 18 months—was Pope Francis, checking in, asking how people were holding up amid the grief and destruction.

Article shared by Kul Gautam Given hardly any real cuts in the bloated Pentagon budget, but total elimination of USAID and huge cuts in the State Department's relatively small budget; elimination of functions dealing with democracy, human rights and refugee issues; and big cuts in embassies and consulates in Africa, the Fulbright scholarships, global health, and issues related to good governance, climate change, and countering corruption, etc. what American values does the new US foreign policy stand for?

Rima Salah is the Chair of the Early Childhood Peace Consortium

Mukesh Kapila at the Kigali Genocide Museum "Genocide” has lost its shock value , and the Genocide Convention does not help.

Instagram post shared by Niloufar Pourzand View this post on Instagram A post shared by KabulNow (@kabulnow.af)

  Thousands of pairs of children's shoes were placed in Breestraat square in Leiden, Netherlands, on Sunday, as part of a symbolic protest drawing attention to the more than 17,000 Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023.  

Regional Staff Association Committees from three UNICEF Regions have written to the Executive Director expressing their "observations,concerns,and recommendations concerning UNICEF's ongoing Future Focus Initiative (FFI).

We live in such terrible and terrifying times with all that is happening around the world, whether it be brutal wars or trade wars or the defunding of essential services and development cooperation, and other assaults on human rights. For some of us, there is also winter. Here then, just to lighten the mood a little, is a collection of photographs from a recent trip to Morocco, a delightful country, where one can indulge a little welcome escapism.

    Our Feature Richard Bridle believes that we need a break sometimes from the terrible times in which we live - wars, funding cuts and assaults on human rights. For Richard the break came in the form of "a recent trip to Morocco, a delightful country, where one can indulge a little welcome escapism." Join him in revisiting the highlights of his visit.

 

 

  Leo Goulet and I had lunch this week after his return from a two month visit to Asia... it shows the two of us at our island restaurant called Ben &Florentine.

On North Darfur Fighting continues to escalate in Sudan's North Darfur with at least 15 more children reportedly killed. Over the past week, more than 330,000 people have fled Zamzam camp.No place is safe. Hostilities must end immediately to protect civilians and allow the delivery of aid.

>  Instagram post by Jun Kukita View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jun Kukita (@junkukita) My boss, in Namibia (1989-1992) and in Bangladesh (1998-2001) visited Japan. At the end of her cherry-blossam filled trip she stayed in Osaka and had her last dinner in Japan with us. We talked about the good old exciting days and about our families and common friends. She was my Rep twice, and I was her Area Based Programme Officer (participatory community development model project) in Namibia, and her deputy (Senior Programme Coordinator). I liked her "no nonsense, but warm" management style, and did the same when I became Reps in Timor-Leste and Kazakhstan. Colin Davis from Dhaka time was also in Japan recently and I know Samphe is also planning to come. So who will come next?

 Article shared by Tom McDermott "A portrait of a young Palestinian boy who lost both arms as a result of an Israeli attack in Gaza was honored Thursday as World Press Photo of the year. "The photo, taken by Samar Abu Elouf for The New York Times shows 9-year-old Mahmoud Ajjour with his arms missing just below each shoulder. “One of the most difficult things Mahmoud’s mother explained to me was how when Mahmoud first came to the realization that his arms were amputated, the first sentence he said to her was, ‘How will I be able to hug you?’” Abu Elouf said in a statement released by the World Press Photo organization.

ST ENODOC’S SQUONK SPIRE Living, as we do, in Cornwall on the furthest tip of South West England, where pagans and saints rub shoulders historically or mythically, we thought that nothing of any importance would happen here when we relocated on retirement. How wrong we were.

Linked-in post shared by Niloufar Pourzand Sevaun Palvetzian is the CEO of UNICEF Canada There may be some ‘science experiments’ at the back of your fridge (no judgement!) But a lifesaving research breakthrough was inspired by a product you may have in your pantry: Nutella. 

“Excellencies, good afternoon. It is good to be with you for this important discussion on the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “Je tiens à exprimer ma gratitude à Monsieur l’Ambassadeur Jérôme Bonnafont, for convening and hosting this briefing during France’s presidency of the Security Council. The Security Council’s continued attention on children affected by armed conflict in the DRC is more critical than ever. “Excellencies, the significant escalation of conflict in the eastern region of the DRC has reached levels not seen in the last three decades. The intensifying violence has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, leaving millions of children at risk. “Since January, more than one million people – including an estimated 400,000 children – have been displaced by violence in the provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu. This new wave of displacement comes in addition to the more than 5 million people in the region who were ...

Article shared by Lou Mendez Wonder what the UNIBOT logo will look like with the olive branches? Click here for the article Summary In this humorous yet insightful article, Radek Sienkiewicz examines the recurring design trend among AI company logos that unintentionally resemble human anatomy, specifically buttholes.

Article shared by Sharif Alam Click here for the article Summary UNICEF expects a funding drop of at least 20% in 2026 compared to 2024, largely due to deep cuts in U.S. foreign aid.

Article shared by Tom McDermott IOM is often viewed by other UN agencies as the 'canary in the coalmine' when it comes to dealing with pressures from the US Administration. The agency relies on the US for over 40% of its budget. Funding cuts have forced the agency to lay off some 3,000 staff and curtail some projects.  

Article shared by Tom McDermott Click here for the article Summary The article reviews changes undertaken in the past 8 years by WHO under its Director-General Tedros, including over a hundred reforms aimed at improved transparency and efficiency. Despite these steps, experts, and staff believe the agency is "top heavy", over reliant on few donors, and generally not yet "fit for purpose".

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget has released a preliminary proposal that would drastically reduce the United States' role in global diplomacy, humanitarian aid, and international cooperation. The plan calls for cutting the State Department’s budget by nearly 50%, —most significantly—eliminating funding for nearly all international organizations, including the United Nations, most of its agencies, and NATO headquarters, along with shutting down diplomatic missions and slashing staffing.

 Newsletter shared by Niloufar Pourzand

14 April 2025 – UNIBOT, UNICEF’s AI Assistant Dear colleagues, Marking a significant step in UNICEF’s digital transformation and aligning with the recently shared AI strategy, UNIBOT, UNICEF’s new AI assistant, is now available in a global rollout.

Marin Marinov, RIP Article shared by Tom McDermott This article presents the first detailed analysis of the Israeli tank attack on the UN Guest House in central Gaza on March 19th, one day after Israel broke the ceasefire.

Article shared by Niloufar Pourzand Click here for the article Summary ​The World Health Organization (WHO) plans to halve its Geneva headquarters' divisions from 10 to 5 and reduce directors from nearly 80 to about 30, aiming to address a $600 million budget shortfall for 2025. This restructuring responds to the U.S. withdrawal and other funding cuts, which have led to a projected $1.9 billion deficit for 2026–2027. The plan includes relocating certain departments to regional offices to cut costs and may reduce Geneva staff by over 40%, from 2,600 to around 1,400–1,500 employees. Quotes “But even these dramatic steps, informed observers say, will not be enough to generate the savings required to cover an expected $600 million budget deficit for 2025, along with a projected $1.9 billion gap for the upcoming budget biennium of 2026-2027 triggered by the United States’ withdrawal from the organisation in January.”​ “As of July 2024 there were nearly 80 directors (D1,D2) at WHO Headqu...

“Dozens of civilians, including at least 23 children, and several aid workers have reportedly been killed in North Darfur over the past three days.

 

I was hired by UNICEF in 1977 on a two-year contract to establish the Financial Planning and Monitoring System. Little did I know that I would work in UNICEF for 31 years nor that my UNICEF life would see me travel the world. I have momentos of those travels that I cherish.

 

 

Article shared by Angela Raven Roberts Greetings - I am posting links to an upcoming series of articles in Disasters which review changing debates and emerging issues on famine and food insecurity. As we all witness the rapidly changing global order and the changing humanitarian business model and architecture, it will be pertinent to see how the weaponization of food (in) security issues will continue to play out into this new future. Best regards Angela.

Article shared by Viviane Sakkal The war came to Omdurman not long after their mother died. The six orphans then set out on a thousand mile journey through war-torn Sudan to reach El Geneina.

Announcement shared by Niloufar Pourzand Webinar: From Crisis to Action: Tackling Sexual Violence in War-Torn Regions Time/Date: Saturday April 12, 2025 @11:00 Am-1:00PM EST (US and Canada}

According to a recent memo from the UNICEF Comptroller, Diane Kepler, the following is the revised schedule for PBR submissions based on the 'Global Review / Future Focus' exercise. The memo indicates the changes underway to reduce costs and improve efficiency. Note the final point on "Offices facing major reductions in OR funding.

Articles shared by Fouad Kronfol The SG's remarks are the strongest we have heard yet on Israeli actions in Gaza/ Fouad

Video shared by Doreen Lobo You can find the questions and answers towards the end.

7 April 2025 Dear UNJSPF participants, retirees and beneficiaries: Over the past few days, global equity markets have experienced significant volatility. In light of this extraordinary event, we would like to provide an update on your Pension Fund’s current status.

ARNISTON FISHERMAN’S COTTAGE There is a very attractive road across the southern end of South Africa from Cape Town to what used to be called Port Elizabeth (now renamed as Gqeberha – pronounce that if you can !).

Twitter post shared by Kul Gautam Runway of Tariffs Global trade has never looked this good. pic.twitter.com/BhlF3W0TBk