Juana plays outside at a shelter in Campur in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Juana is one of more than 900,000 children in Guatemala affected by the two hurricanes, which struck in quick succession and left landslides and massive flooding across the region. has been working with the government, which has been developing a strategy for the opening of safe spaces—a challenge complicated by the ongoing risk of COVID-19. The strategy includes training volunteers on ‘Return to Joy’, a play-based approach culturally adapted to each community that uses child-to-child techniques to help children cope with upheaval.
Children
Musicians around the world are joining ’s Music Against Child Labour Initiative to join the fight for a better future by dedicating concerts and songs to raise awareness and drive change.
COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on the lives of young children, students, and youth. Even before COVID-19 hit, the world was experiencing a learning crisis. 258 million children of primary- and secondary-school age were out of school. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the learning crisis, and the impact on the human capital of this generation of learners is likely to be long-lasting. And the unique nature of the pandemic places parents as first-line responders for children’s survival, care, and learning. This places a burden on all families, especially the most vulnerable. The is supporting COVID-19 response investments in 62 countries, covering the entire cycle from early childhood to higher education.
As the calendar turns to 2021, UNICEF is again celebrating the new lives being brought into the world on 1 January. Fiji in the Pacific will welcome 2021’s first baby. An estimated 371,504 babies will be born around the world on New Year’s Day, and an estimated 140 million children will be born in 2021, . Newborns and their parents face additional challenges this year from the . In response to the global pandemic, UNICEF launched the , a global effort to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from becoming a lasting crisis for children.
UNICEF has teamed up with beloved Sesame Street character Elmo and his mom to help parents and caregivers through the COVID-19 pandemic.