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Global Issues:
Parenting may not always be easy, but it's filled with meaningful, lasting moments that shape both .
The Smurfs, alongside the UN’s ActNow campaign and , are inspiring children worldwide to speak up for fairness, empowerment, and a more inclusive future, with support from global stars like Rihanna and Hannah Waddingham.
As global aid declines, vital services for children, like healthcare and immunization, are collapsing, threatening millions of lives and undermining progress in humanitarian and development efforts.
When conflict dominates the news, children often feel scared or anxious and look to their parents for reassurance and a sense of safety.
When parents and children connect through play, it’s magical. Choose play every day because every moment matters.
The 2025 World Day Against Child Labour (12 June) marks a critical moment in the global fight to end child labour. Under the theme “Progress is clear, but there's more to do: let’s speed up efforts!”, the International Labour Organization () calls on all countries to fully ratify the , and to effectively implement the , which includes all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Now’s the time to make the elimination of child labour a reality.
Play isn’t just fun; it’s essential for every child’s development. Observed annually on 11 June, the International Day of Play is a time to celebrate the transformative power of play, raise awareness of its vital role in children's growth and well-being, and come together to ensure every child can enjoy their right to play. This year’s theme, “,” serves as a call to action for governments, businesses, schools, and families to take decisions that embrace and prioritize play for children.
What does parenting really look like?
June is , and invites you into the lives of four families as they navigate the everyday joys and challenges of parenthood. With support from The LEGO Foundation, this short film is a powerful reminder that just as there is no one way to raise a child, there is also no one way to be a parent.
Join us on June 1 2025, and let's watch it together.
Children living in conflict zones around the world face unspeakable horrors. Unable to sleep at home or play outside, these children cannot attend school or receive medical care in hospitals. Caught up in wars involving killing, maiming, abduction, and sexual violence, they are denied the humanitarian assistance desperately needed. On the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression (4 June), the UN stresses that the most effective way to protect children from hostilities is to eliminate the push and pull factors leading to their involvement in armed conflict.
The weeks since the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza have seen yet more pain and tragedy piled on top of what was already almost unfathomable loss. The ongoing bombardments, and the entering the Gaza Strip, have strained the humanitarian response to the limit. Since the start of this war in Gaza, thousands of children have been killed and many thousands more have been injured. But even for those who survive the injuries, life will never be the same. These are some of their stories.
UNRWA's psychosocial support is helping children in Gaza, like Amir, rediscover hope, laughter, and friendship amid the devastation of war.
UN experts warn that the unprecedented destruction in Gaza has left nearly all of the region's one million children suffering from severe psychological trauma and acute food shortages.
A teacher from El Salvador, a young student from the Dominican Republic, and a family farmer from Guatemala are united in their commitment to the transformative power of healthy school food. Esmeralda Ruiz, a teacher in Concepción de Ataco, El Salvador, turned an academic assignment into a mission to promote healthy eating among her school community. In 2020, she on developing healthy and sustainable school environments, supported by organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization () and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency. With this knowledge, Esmeralda raised awareness about the importance of healthy eating at the San Francisco Catholic Educational Complex, organizing events and fairs for students and parents. Through these initiatives, nearly 600 students and their families are transforming their eating habits while fostering stronger community ties, ensuring that healthy eating is seen as both a right and a daily practice.
Every day, over 100 million children in low- and lower-middle-income countries are going hungry. Millions go to school on an empty stomach – hunger affects their concentration and ability to learn. School meal programmes play a critical role to address these challenges. The (WFP) has more than six decades of experience supporting governments to ensure that all school-age children have access to school meals and are healthy and ready to learn. On this School Meals Day 2025 (13 March), to make sure no kid is held back by hunger.