Mohamed Fall, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, speaks to BBC Focus on Africa presenter, Esau Williams, on Day of the African Child, 16 June 2021. 
BBC Focus on Africa producer: Marco Oriunto.

DAC BBC Focus On AFrica Radio

VOA interview with UNICEF's Dr Sam Godfrey. Young people living in the Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau are the most at risk of the impacts of climate change, threatening their health, education, and protection, and exposing them to deadly diseases, according to a UNICEF report launched today.   ‘The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index’ is the first comprehensive analysis of climate risk from a child’s perspective. It ranks countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, such as cyclones and heatwaves, as well as their vulnerability to those shocks, based on their access to essential services.  Launched in collaboration with Fridays for Future on the third anniversary of the youth-led global climate strike movement, the report finds approximately 1 billion children – nearly half the world's 2.2 billion children – live in one of the 33 countries classified as “extremely high-risk”. These children face a deadly combination of exposure to multiple climate and environmental shocks with a high vulnerability due to inadequate essential services, such as water and sanitation, healthcare and education. The findings reflect the number of children impacted today – figures likely to get worse as the impacts of climate change accelerate.  “For the first time, we have a complete picture of where and how children are vulnerable to climate change, and that picture is almost unimaginably dire. Climate and environmental shocks are undermining the complete spectrum of children’s rights, from access to clean air, food and safe water; to education, housing, freedom from exploitation, and even their right to survive. Virtually no child’s life will be unaffected,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “For three years, children have raised their voices around the world to demand action. UNICEF supports their calls for change with an unarguable message – the climate crisis is a child’s rights crisis.”    The Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI) reveals: •	240 million children are highly exposed to coastal flooding;  •	330 million children are highly exposed to riverine flooding; •	400 million children are highly exposed to cyclones; •	600 million children are highly exposed to vector borne diseases; •	815 million children are highly exposed to lead pollution; •	820 million children are highly exposed to heatwaves; •	920 million children are highly exposed to water scarcity; •	1 billion children are are highly exposed to exceedingly high levels of air pollution   While nearly every child around the world is at risk from at least one of these climate and environmental hazards, the data reveal the worst affected countries face multiple and often overlapping shocks that threaten to erode development progress and deepen child deprivations.  An estimated 850 million children – 1 in 3 worldwide – live in areas where at least four of these climate and environmental shocks overlap. As many as 330 million children – 1 in 7 worldwide – live in areas affected by at least five major shocks.   The report also reveals a disconnect between where greenhouse gas emissions are generated, and where children are enduring the most significant climate-driven impacts. The 33 ‘extremely high-risk’ countries collectively emit just 9 per cent of global CO2 emissions. Conversely, the 10 highest emitting countries collectively account for nearly 70 per cent of global emissions. Only one of these countries is ranked as ‘extremely high-risk’ in the index.  “Climate change is deeply inequitable. While no child is responsible for rising global temperatures, they will pay the highest costs. The children from countries least responsible will suffer most of all. But there is still time to act,” said Fore.

UNICEF Climate Change Interview on VOA

UNICEF on school closures

Ovaua Kambazembi is a 14 year old Namibian girl. When she was a toddler, her parents discovered she was visually impaired. Here, she has an inspiring conversation with the BBC, about overcoming difficulties and reaching for your dreams.

BBC interviews Ovaua Kambazembi (14) about children with disabilities

New report from UNICEF exposes the depth of deprivation experienced by the 1 in 10 children with disabilities worldwide across several indicators of well-being, including health, education and protection. VOA interview with UNICEF programme specialist Yetneberesh Nigussie Molla.

Nearly 240 million children with disabilities around the world, UNICEF analysis finds

@RaniabtBakhita shares her experience in Dollow, #Somalia giving more insight into the #HornOfAfrica drought crisis

Rania Dagash talks about the Horn of Africa drought crisis

The largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years has been recorded in official data published today by WHO and UNICEF. UNICEF's Lieke van de Wiel interviewed on BBC World Service. 

The percentage of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP3) – a marker for immunization coverage within and across countries – fell 5 percentage points between 2019 and 2021 to 81 per cent. 

As a result, 25 million children missed out on one or more doses of DTP through routine immunization services in 2021 alone. This is 2 million more than those who missed out in 2020 and 6 million more than in 2019, highlighting the growing number of children at risk from devastating but preventable diseases. The decline was due to many factors including an increased number of children living in conflict and fragile settings where immunization access is often challenging, increased misinformation and COVID-19 related issues such as service and supply chain disruptions, resource diversion to response efforts, and containment measures that limited immunization service access and availability.

Largest decline in childhood vaccinations in approx 30 years recorded - UNICEF

More than 20 million children across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are enduring the worst drought in 40 years, as climate change ravages the Horn of Africa. The number of children affected by the drought has more than doubled within the last five months. Lieke van de Wiel, Deputy Regional Director for UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa discusses the situation with with Carol Van Dam, International Edition Host at VOA.

UNICEF's Lieke van de Wiel speaks to VOA about the Horn of Africa drought

Young people have their say on the Covid-19 pandemic. Here they answer the questions, what is Covid-19/Coronavirus and how can you protect yourself?

UNICEF - KIDS COVID VOX 1

Kids and young people are feeling the pinch as COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions continue. Here, they answer the question: Does the world feel a bit different to you right now?

KIDS COVID VOX 2

UNICEF asked kids and teens for their messages to grown-ups, regarding making the world a safer place. Here's what they had to say.

UNICEF Africa

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