Since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, children continue to bear the brunt of the crisis – unable to attend school regularly, learn safely, or feel a sense of normalcy.

Air raid alarms disrupt classes. Many schools, particularly in frontline areas, remain closed due to hostilities or lack of adequate shelter, forcing nearly a million children to study online, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

In 2025 alone, more than 340 educational institutions were damaged or destroyed, further disrupting children’s lives and their right to education. Since the start of the large-scale invasion, the UN has verified that around 2,800 schools have been damaged, although the real number is likely much higher.

“Schools must be protected spaces where children can learn safely, even in times of war. In times of crisis, education provides a lifeline and a sense of normalcy for children,” said Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative in Ukraine.

An essential lifeline

“Despite the challenges, Ukrainian children are determined to continue learning, whether in school or online, in classrooms or in shelters. They are hopeful for a future where they can realize their dreams,” he added.

UNICEF’s response, alongside government and local partners, has enabled more than half a million children to access inclusive formal or non-formal education, including safe in-person learning, helping them catch up through remedial education.

As Ukraine enters another winter of war, UNICEF continues to provide vital financial assistance to help families prepare for the cold months. In October alone, 22,557 households received winter financial assistance. So far in the 2024-2025 winter season, UNICEF has assisted a total of 43,337 households, or 140,234 people, including 63,416 children, including 30,738 girls.

Protecting schools and children’s right to education is not optional in times of war: it is imperative, UNICEF stressed, urging international partners to continue supporting Ukraine’s education sector as a “non-negotiable investment” in children and the country’s future.

Children’s exposure to domestic violence is highest in Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa, and Central and South Asia, reflecting deep regional inequalities and widespread patterns of abuse experienced by women worldwide.

“Today, millions of women and children live in homes where violence is a part of daily life,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “The safety and autonomy of women are paramount to the well-being of children. »

A violation of human rights

The analysis follows an update UN global estimates on violence against womenpublished by the World Health Organization (WHO) on behalf of the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on Violence Against Women.

These estimates show that more than one in 10 adolescent girls and women aged 15 and over have experienced physical or sexual violence from an intimate partner in the past 12 months.

Violence against women – particularly domestic violence and sexual violence – is a major public health and clinical problem and a violation of women’s human rights. It is rooted in and perpetuates gender inequalities.

Globally, one in three women are victims of physical and/or sexual violence during their lifetimeprimarily by an intimate partner – a stark reminder of the extent of gender inequality and discrimination against women.

Where women and children are most at risk

For the first time, UNICEF regional data highlights where women and children are most at risk.

In Oceania, just over half of children – around three million – live with a mother who has recently experienced domestic violence. Sub-Saharan Africa follows with 32 percent, affecting 187 million children. Central and South Asia, although slightly lower at 29 percent, accounts for the largest number of affected children in the world, with 201 million children affected.

Other regional results include:

• North Africa and West Asia: 26 percent, or 52 million children
• East and Southeast Asia: 21 percent, or 105 million children
• Latin America and the Caribbean: 19 percent, or 35 million children
• Europe and North America: 13 percent, or 28 million children
• Australia and New Zealand: 5 percent, or about 400,000 children

Long-term consequences

Children living in homes where their mothers are victims of violence are at increased risk of direct and indirect harm, UNICEF has warned.

Even if they are not physically abused themselvesWitnessing violence can erode trust between children and caregiversleave deep emotional scars and cause trauma that often lasts into adulthood.

Exposure to domestic violence also increases the likelihood that children will experience or perpetuate violence later in life, with long-term consequences for their safety, development, health and education.

UNICEF is urging governments to take stronger action, calling for integrated strategies that tackle both violence against women and children, underpinned by support for organizations led by women and girls.

It highlights the need for broader access to survivor-centered services, greater investment in prevention – including parenting and school programs – and efforts to challenge harmful social norms while elevating the voices of survivors and young people.

“At least 67 children have been killed since the ceasefire,” Annalena Baerbock, president of the UN General Assembly, said at a landmark event on Tuesday. International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

“Residents of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have also endured indescribable hardships amid Israeli military operations, settler violence, settlement expansion, evictions and demolitions. » underlines Courtenay Rattray, Chief of Staff, speaking on behalf of the UN Secretary-General.

The International Day is observed annually on November 29 – the day in 1947 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on the partition of Palestine into two independent states, one Arab and one Jewish.

The UN stands by a simple truth: the Palestinian people have the right to dignity, justice and self-determination, Mr. Rattray stressed.

Vital humanitarian aid remains needed

For millions of Palestinians, the United Nations agency that helps Palestinian refugees, UNRWA“remains a lifeline,” he said.

The international community must continue to support him as the United Nations strives to meet the Flash Appeal’s $4 billion target for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, he added.

THE International Court of Justice and the United Nations General Assembly have both affirmed that the long-standing occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal.

Gaza is in ruins, with civilians – including children and women – among the dead and injured. Aid workers and journalists have also been affected. Meanwhile, attacks are increasingly targeting Palestinian farmers in the West Bank as they attempt to harvest their olives.

“Hope can become a reality. Hope that two people – linked by history, geography and humanity – will live side by side in peace.” said Mr. Rattray.

“On this International Day of Solidarity, let’s turn this hope into action and help the olive tree grow back.”

With a 90 percent failure rate for startups, young people could be forgiven if they concluded that founding a business, especially during such a turbulent time for the global economy, would be too risky an option.

“But there’s a 10 percent chance of improving people’s lives,” retorts business management student Daniel Wu, boldly adopting the “glass is a little full” approach. “If no one takes that 10 percent chance, then no one will succeed in the future.”

Mr. Wu’s project to create a digital skills platform for rural youth to teach them AI and software skills reached the finals of the Innovation Youth competition organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

This earned him an invitation to attend the UNIDO Global Industry Summit in Riyadh where, on Wednesday, he participated in a session focused on the Youth Parliament, a global debate platform jointly organized by UNIDO and the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources (MIM).

The many young entrepreneurs present at the Summit were brimming with enthusiasm and keen to make the most of the networking opportunities on offer, with the chance to meet mentors, policy makers and potential investors.

The program included a series of interactive dialogues; innovation highlights and mentoring sessions. Young delegates presented pioneering solutions in renewable energy, circular economy practices and digital manufacturing. These exchanges provided an opportunity for policymakers and industry leaders to engage directly with young people, exploring how their ideas can be scaled and implemented in various contexts.

“We know how our generation thinks”

They will have to maintain this positivity in the face of statistics: in addition to the high failure rate, they are also hampered by a thin track record, compared to older entrepreneurs. That doesn’t deter Wu, who says young people are worth investing in because of the unique perspective they can offer.

“We grew up with computers, with the Internet, and we know how people interact with different types of content. We have a good understanding of how our generation, the next big market segment, thinks, which is why we have a better advantage over older investors.

By dedicating an entire day to youth, the Global Industry Summit sent a clear signal: the future of the industry will be defined not only by established leaders, but also by the creativity, determination and resilience of the next generation. In Riyadh, this future was given a powerful voice.

On 10 November, the Federal Government of Somalia officially declared a state of drought emergency and appealed for urgent international assistance as the situation continued to deteriorate in the northern, central and southern regions, according to to the UN relief coordination office, OCHA.

Puntland is among the worst-hit regions, where authorities estimate nearly a million people are in need of assistance, including 130,000 whose lives are in immediate danger.

A UN assessment mission to the Bari and Nugaal regions earlier this month found communities are grappling with severe water and food shortages, with residents warning that disaster could strike in the coming months.

“We haven’t received any rain since last year; this is the worst drought in years,” said Abdiqani Osman Omar, mayor of Shaxda village in the Bari region.

“Hundreds of displaced families moved here three months ago, and more are arriving. The new arrivals are mostly women and children, while the men have moved to neighboring Ethiopia in search of pasture and water.”

The village does not have the capacity to support them, he added, saying even host communities need water and food aid.

Dried up water sources, abandoned settlements

Throughout Puntland, waterholes have dried up, vegetation has withered, and formerly inhabited pastoral settlements are now abandoned.

In the town of Dhaxan, where brief downpours during the Gu season (April-June) offered short-lived hope earlier this year, residents now rely on expensive water trucked in after the local borehole was found to be contaminated.

Jama community leader Abshir Hersi said about 150 families moved to the town after the rains.

“Previously, we received food and nutritional aid, as well as medical supplies for our health unit. All that aid has diminished,” he said.

Financing gaps

Funding gaps are making the crisis worse.

As of November 23, Somalia Humanitarian Response Plan 2025 was only 23.7 percent funded, leading to significant aid reductions. The number of people receiving emergency food aid fell from 1.1 million in August to just 350,000 this month.

In Puntland alone, 89 supplementary feeding sites and 198 health and stabilization centers are facing serious supply shortages.

Millions of people are hungry

The drought is developing in an already disastrous humanitarian context. At least 4.4 million people are expected to face acute food insecurity until December, while 1.85 million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition until mid-2026.

Weather forecasts indicate little immediate relief. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warned Dry and hot conditions are expected to persist across most of the country, particularly in central and northern regions.

“High temperatures and low precipitation are likely to exacerbate water stress and limit pasture regeneration in most areas. » the agency said.