The new school year in northeast Nigeria is bittersweet. Education has been one of the biggest causalities of the Boko Haram conflict, with over 3 million children now in need of emergency education support so that they can get back to school and get a decent education.
Years of conflict in Yemen have left 18.8 million people - some 70 per cent of the population - in need of humanitarian assistance. Despite the trauma that many--especially children--are facing, there are signs of hope in the chaos.
For children and their families across Syria, winter used to bring joy. But after six years of conflict, childhood memories of getting cosy around the heater, playing in the snow and warm winter clothes, are all but forgotten.
Every child deserves the opportunity to play, laugh and learn; to explore and grow in a world that nurtures them. Tragically, UNICEF estimates that tens of thousands of boys and girls under the age of 18 are used in conflicts worldwide. We recognize February 12 as International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers - to ensure a better, safer future for every child.