UNICEF Aotearoa

09/06/2026

Childhood shouldn't look like this, but for Abdullah and Massa, it does. They’re living through an environmental health emergency.

In 2026 alone, more than 70,000 cases of rat and pest infestations have been reported across Gaza's displacement camps. Kids are sleeping, eating, and playing metres from rodents, cockroaches, and disease. This is what a collapsed sanitation system looks like for children in Gaza.

UNICEF reaches 1.6 million people with clean water every month across the Gaza Strip, but with unrestricted humanitarian access, we could reach so many more children in need.

Donate via the link below to help kids like Abdullah and Massa get access to clean water and safe sanitation in Gaza.
https://link.unicef.org.nz/upZ3h

04/06/2026

Don’t look at the pinned comment.⬇

02/06/2026

UNICEF and Les Mills are teaming up for Workout for the World, with thousands of gym-goers across the globe moving together to help support children through UNICEF’s life-saving work.

Turns out your post-workout endorphins can do more than just lift your mood. 💙

Be a part of the most important workout in the world. Hit the link below to see if your gym is getting involved on June 20.
https://link.unicef.org.nz/upR25

01/06/2026

In Cần Thơ, Viet Nam, fathers like Hoàng Anh are showing up, not just at home, but in community parenting sessions designed to give children the best possible start in life.

This Global Day of Parents, we're reminded that parenting isn't just love, it's a skill. And with the right support, every parent can help their child grow physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially.



© UNICEF/UNI973699/Vu Le Hoang

29/05/2026

Everything you need to know about the Ebola outbreak and UNICEF’s response to date. 🔴

Over 900 suspected cases and 220 suspected deaths. Families in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda are facing one of the most feared viruses on the planet. Children are bearing the heaviest burden, losing access to food, healthcare, education and in some cases, their parents.

The need is real and it's right now. Donate via the link below.
https://link.unicef.org.nz/upFkH

28/05/2026

When girls don't have safe sanitation at school during their period, they don't come to school. And as our International Programmes Manager Victoria knows from working across the Pacific, it doesn't take long for a few missed days to become a constant. 25% absence becomes 30%, then 40%, then 50%. And at that point, dropping out altogether feels inevitable.

At Honiara Senior High School in the Solomon Islands, there were just 6 toilets for 1,315 students. Only 6. And they're far from alone, nearly half of schools still operate without any toilets at all, and only 5% meant basic sanitation standards.

This Menstrual Health and Hygiene Day, UNICEF, with support from New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is changing that. We're improving water, sanitation and hygiene in 39 schools across Solomon Islands, reaching over 7,000 students.

"If kids stay in school, they get a better education. Simple as that."

26/05/2026

Viktoria has never known a world without war.

She was six when fighting came to Donetsk. Fifteen when the full-scale invasion began. Now, at 18, she's a UNICEF Poetry for Peace finalist, turning a lifetime of sirens and fear into words that demand to be heard.

"This poem is autobiographical," she says. Because it is.

Three years of writing. One stolen childhood and one unshakeable belief that peace is still possible for all children everywhere.

War took her childhood but it couldn't take her voice. Poetry this powerful deserves a bigger audience. Help give it one and share it.

25/05/2026

We all want our tamariki and rangatahi to be safe online. That's not up for debate. 💙

Our Child & Youth Engagement Lead, Lydia, shares why the proposed social media ban for under 16s might not be the fix we're looking for and what we think would actually make a difference.

Children deserve safe spaces to express themselves, connect, and find support in the digital world. Aotearoa has the opportunity right now to make that happen.

👉 Head to the link below to find out more.
https://link.unicef.org.nz/updOI

20/05/2026

With 246 suspected cases and 80 suspected deaths, Ebola is advancing rapidly across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and into Uganda, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

But for children, the crisis runs deeper than the virus. The loss of parents and caregivers, disruption to health services and education, stigma and psychological distress can leave a mark that lasts long after the outbreak ends.

UNICEF is already on the ground and moving fast. Nearly 50 tonnes of protective equipment, disinfectants and water purification supplies have been rushed to Bunia and over 2,000 community health workers have been mobilised to support the hardest-hit areas.

Donate via the link below to help us scale up and get urgent supplies to the children who need them most.
https://link.unicef.org.nz/upm57



© UNICEF/UNI884781/Badimu

Support children and families at risk from Ebola. Help stop the spread. UNICEF is providing disinfectants, soap, personal protective equipment, water purification tablets, health and medical support. Donate today.

19/05/2026

Fatima is 12 years old. She decorates her tent, studies under a tarp, and has decided, no matter what, to be happy. Her family's table is still standing. Not everyone around it is.

We didn't tell her story through statistics. We let her tell it herself, in her own words, through the sounds of her everyday life, because one person's reality will always cut deeper than any headline. She is proud to be a girl from Gaza, and after watching this, you'll understand exactly why she should be.

Donate via the link below to support children like Fatima.
https://link.unicef.org.nz/uoL7t