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Global Issues:
In Pakistan, 14-year-old Sobh walks through her village, showing how climate change has disrupted daily life with heavy rains flooding schools and damaging water sources.
Sobh explains how UNICEF is supporting her village through solutions like rainwater collection, solar energy, tree planting, and safe drinking water systems. At school, children are not only learning about climate change but also working together to find ways to protect their future.
Escalating violence in and is exposing children to trauma, fear, displacement, and disrupted safety, education, and daily life.
Under intense heat at the Sudan–South Sudan border, Marida, a 35‑year‑old Sudanese mother of four, walks an hour to reach the area’s only health clinic, carrying her youngest child. With no job and little access to care near her home, the clinic is her lifeline. As she waits in the shade, she braids her daughter’s hair and shares water, calm despite exhaustion. Serving conflict‑affected families in a harsh, remote landscape, the clinic offers rare care close to home. That day a clinician assessed Marida and prescribed medication. Having already lost one son at age four, she makes the journey whenever her children, aged 13, 10, 8 and 4, need care—and will walk it again for follow‑up.
The number of children and young people out of school has , up to 273 million, driven by population growth, crises, and shrinking budgets. This is the main finding of ±«±··ˇł§°ä°żâ€™s , the world’s reference on the state of education. One in six children of school age worldwide are excluded from education, and only two in three students complete secondary school. Yet, many countries are making significant progress.
±«±··ˇł§°ä°żâ€™s (19 March) spotlights how schools, teachers, learners and families use technology to strengthen education while addressing its risks. Established in 2023, it promotes norms, practices and wider access to quality digital learning. This year’s observance highlights the push to build digital commons, trusted public online spaces and resources that extend public education into digital environments. It also marks the launch of the , offering guidance for governments to design public digital learning ecosystems.
On International School Meals Day (12 March), it is important to recognize the essential role school feeding programmes play in advancing education, nutrition, and long‑term development. The supports governments in delivering school meals to 466 million children worldwide, ensuring they receive the nourishment required to learn and succeed. These programmes strengthen attendance, improve concentration, and represent one of the most cost‑effective investments in human capital, particularly in contexts where children are most at risk.
US First Lady to preside over UN Security Council session
US First Lady presides over UN Security Council session
First Lady Melania Trump makes history at the Â鶹APP today as she takes the gavel for the United States during its Security Council presidency, highlighting education’s role in promoting tolerance and global peace. Her appearance marks the first time a sitting US First Lady presides over a Security Council meeting, and the first instance of any first lady or first gentleman doing so. Today’s session addresses education, technology, peace, and security, with Under‑Secretary‑General Rosemary DiCarlo briefing on behalf of the Secretary‑General. Follow the at 3 p.m. New York time.
Four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and nearly 12 years since the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, the conflict has claimed thousands of lives, displaced millions, and .
In Sudan, the conflict between the national army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has plunged the country into widespread bloodshed and humanitarian catastrophe.
The devastating civil war began in April 2023 and is expanding beyond the western Darfur region into central Kordofan, taking its toll on civilians and particularly the most vulnerable, including children.
Eva Hinds, Spokesperson for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Sudan, how the agency is supporting boys and girls amid the brutal conflict and ongoing cuts to aid budgets.
Exposed to the world of science, technology, engineering and mathmatics (STEM) at a young age, Leen Alaya, a 24-year old innovator from Aleppo, Syria, is on a mission to revolutionize the way children learn programming - with a little help from UNDP. “Some of my earliest memories are of accompanying my mother to work at the University, where she was a professor in the Faculty of Computer Systems Engineering,” recalls Leen. By age eight, she was participating in national informatics Olympiads and hackathons, demonstrating a keen interest in problem-solving and programming. .
UNRWA has been providing education across four generations. For more than 75 years, the Agency has supported more than 2.5 million Palestine Refugees to finish school. Over 66,000 children are being taught in UNRWA’s temporary learning spaces, and nearly 300,000 through digital learning.
As , displaced children and families sheltering in fragile tents face life-threatening risks from flooding, cold, and disease, even as parents struggle desperately to protect them with almost nothing left.
Youth under 30 make up over half the world’s population and drive innovation and social change, yet face poverty, inequality and limited access to education and decent work. Their engagement is essential to shape modern education amid rapid technological change. Aligned with the youth must be co‑creators of education at all levels. The Youth highlights their leadership, and the 2026 International Day of Education (24 January) celebrates their role.
Education is crucial for children, providing safety during crises and reducing risks of child labor, early marriage, and recruitment by armed groups. It connects kids to essential services like clean water and nutritious meals, while also fostering hope and stability, ultimately leading to economic growth and reducing conflict. However, a recent analysis indicates that international aid for education may drop by over US$3 billion by the end of 2026, potentially leaving 6 million more children out of school. This isn't just a financial adjustment; it's a significant threat to a whole generation’s future.