UNICEF news stories on Newser

UN Aid Flows at Last to Parched Somalia

Mark Russell — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:11:17 CDT

UN aid groups have finally begun delivering supplies to areas controlled by islamist militants in Somalia, as the Horn of Africa faces its worst drought in 60 years, reports the BBC . Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked militant group, banned international aid groups two years ago, but tens of thousands of refugees streaming...

Snipers Targeting Kids in Misrata: UNICEF

Kevin Spak — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:10:05 CDT

Snipers are gunning down children and other civilians in the Libyan city of Misrata, which is held by rebels but under siege from Moammar Gadhafi’s forces, UNICEF said today. “What we have are reliable and consistent reports of children being among the people targeted,” a spokesman for the UN’s children...

Cambodians Raped, Killed at UN-Backed Camp

Matt Cantor — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 06:33:57 CDT

Cambodians being held at a UN-funded internment camp are frequently beaten and raped, treatment that has resulted in at least three deaths. Guards at the “social affairs center” say its residents are free to leave when they choose—but human rights watchdogs and ex-inmates say Prey Speu is an “illegal,...

Call to Halt Haiti Adoptions on Trafficking Fears

NxBigmouthery — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 08:55:47 CST

The disappearance of 15 children from Haitian hospitals has prompted aid agencies to call for a halt on adoptions of Haitian orphans, warning that child traffickers flourish in such chaotic situations. Despite an outpouring of offers from would-be parents, and the tens of thousands of children in need—40,000...

How You Can Help Haiti Quake Victims

Kevin Spak — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:32:08 CST

Disaster relief agencies are streaming into Haiti, trying to provide safe water, medical supplies, and temporary shelter for victims of the devastating earthquake there. Here are some ways you can donate to the cause, from the Daily News : Text “Yele” to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean’s earthquake relief...

'Vaccination Diplomacy': Taliban Helps UN, Karzai

John Johnson — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 09:41:43 CST

The Taliban may be pariahs to much of the world, but the group's indisputable hold on vast swaths of Afghanistan has produced an unusual arrangement: It's working with UN health officials and the Afghan government to wipe out polio. Volunteers travel to normally dangerous regions to vaccinate children, armed with...

UN Fights to Release Child Soldiers in Chad

Jason Farago — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:11:00 CDT

The UN has obtained access to 80 child soldiers, some as young as 13, who have been taken prisoner in Chad near the Sudanese region of Darfur. UNICEF says that the children were captured and paraded before television cameras after a battle in early May between the Chadian army and...

Mugabe Acknowledges Cholera Epidemic

Harry Kimball — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:21:32 CST

Robert Mugabe has backtracked on his denial of the Zimbabwean cholera crisis, AFP reports. “He is acknowledging there is a problem,” said a UNICEF official who met with him today. “He recognizes there is a problem with the water and the sewer systems.” The admission comes as opposition leader Morgan...

Ethical Gifts Ease Western Guilt, Not Third World Poverty

Victoria Floethe — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 12:30:01 CST

The trend of giving ethical holiday gifts couldn't be more pompous, writes Nathalie Rothschild for Spiked . "Rather than lifting people out of poverty, Oxfam and the rest are helping to sustain underdevelopment," she argues. And occupying a higher level of condescension is the organization Animal Aid, which opposes gifts of...