Media Releases

UNICEF: Budget must tackle child poverty as NZ ranks near bottom for child wellbeing

20 May 2026

As the Government prepares to deliver next week’s Budget, UNICEF Aotearoa is calling for urgent action to reduce child poverty and inequality after a major new UNICEF report ranked New Zealand near the bottom of wealthy countries for child wellbeing.

FAST FACTS: 30 years of life-saving therapeutic food for children, yet millions more still need it - UNICEF

4 May 2026

For three decades, a small sachet of fortified peanut paste has been one of the most powerful tools to combat severe wasting – the deadliest form of malnutrition – in children under five. Today, more than 12 million children globally are suffering from severe wasting. As conflict, climate shocks, and funding pressures escalate, ensuring a predictable and uninterrupted supply of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is more critical than ever.

UNICEF Statement on hostilities in the Middle East

7 April 2026

The ongoing hostilities and intensifying rhetoric against essential civilian infrastructure risks exacerbating an already grave situation for children.

Humanitarian crisis for children deepens after one month of war in the Middle East

31 March 2026

More than one month into the military escalation in the Middle East, conflict continues to exact a devastating toll on children across the region.  More than 340 children have reportedly been killed and thousands injured.

Across the Middle East, a generation of children is being pulled deeper into crisis

24 March 2026

On 17 March 2026 in Lebanon, Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, sits and interacts with 3-year-old Narjes (centre) while meeting displaced children and families sheltering at the Omar Faroukh school in Beirut.

Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, on the rise in child casualties amid escalating hostilities in Lebanon

10 March 2026

Statement by UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, on the rise in child casualties amid escalating hostilities in Lebanon

The brutality of war measured in children’s lives as hostilities escalate in Iran

6 March 2026

UNICEF warns of the brutality of war in Iran as strikes kill 180 children, including 168 girls at a school, and calls for the protection of all civilians.

UNICEF statement on the impact of the military escalation on children in the Middle East

2 March 2026

UNICEF warns of a grave danger for children following military strikes in the Middle East, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation.

More than a third of Ukraine’s children remain displaced four years into war – UNICEF

24 February 2026

Odesa, Ukraine - The exterior of the Odesa Children’s Clinic shows boarded-up windows.

2026 brings no respite to children living in violence and conflict in the Middle East and North Africa

11 February 2026

On 21 January, Alawiya, a mother of five prepares a meal for her family in their home located in rural Wasat AL Gadaref, Gedaref State.

Deepfake abuse is abuse

4 February 2026

UNICEF warns of the rapid rise in AI-generated sexualised images of children, calling for urgent global action and stronger safety-by-design from developers.

Statement by UNICEF on the killing of two water truck drivers in the Gaza Strip

4 February 2026