UNICEF works to keep children safe and to protect their rights, no matter where they are. That work is more essential now than ever, with nearly 50 million children uprooted across the globe.
Among them are 28 million fleeing brutal wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and South Sudan and 6.3 million migrant and refugee children in Latin America and the Caribbean who are facing life-threatening situations and multiple forms of violence. That figure also includes children forced by deprivation and extreme poverty to make difficult and dangerous journeys abroad, where upon arrival many wait, out of school, for their fates to be decided.
This child refugee crisis is the worst since World War II. Whether those impacted are called migrants, refugees or internally displaced, they are all children first.
UNICEF USA is now leveraging its global expertise on behalf of children on the move in the U.S. and around the world. You can join UNICEF and take meaningful action to keep vulnerable children on the move safe at every step. These children had no choice where they were born. And they urgently need — and deserve — our help now.
TELL CONGRESS
Separating children from families trying to enter the U.S. is devastating for them and can cause irreversible harm. Stand up for children who can't advocate for themselves by joining UNICEF USA's call for an end to this cruel policy.
An unsuccessful search for a missing 3-year-old boy led police to another discovery -- 11 children who were malnourished and living in filth, police said. (AP/Clayton County Police Department)
Authorities hoping to end a monthslong search for a missing 3-year-old boy raided a New Mexico compound Friday to look for the toddler — but instead found 11 other children who were malnourished and living in filthy conditions, authorities said.
Taos County Sheriff’s deputies stormed a makeshift compound in Amalia and removed the children, ranging from ages 1 to 15, and turned over to state child-welfare workers. Police were initially at the compound to look for Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj and a 39-year-old man, Siraj Wahhaj, accused of abducting the boy last December. Wahhaj was located on the property and arrested. The child that sparked the initial search was not found.
Wahhaj was jailed on a Georgia warrant alleging child abduction after law enforcement officers searching a rural northern New Mexico compound for a missing 3-year-old boy found 11 children in filthy conditions and hardly any food. (Taos County Sheriff's Office)
“We did an extensive search for the missing child, our primary target,” Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe said, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “We certainly didn’t want to leave that place and leave a child behind and I’m confident we did not.”
Another man, identified as Lucas Morten, was also taken into custody on suspicion of harboring a fugitive.
Lucas Morten was arrested on suspicion of harboring a fugitive. (Taos County Sheriff's Office)
Three other women at the compound were also detained, but later released.
Hogrefe said authorities had conducted surveillance of the compound while looking for the missing boy before he decided Thursday to get a search warrant immediately after a Georgia investigator forwarded a message in which someone at the compound reportedly told another person that people at the compound were starving and needed water.
Abdul-Ghani Wahhaj was reported missing last December. (Clayton County Police Department)
“The message sent to a third party simply said in part, ‘We are starving and need food and water,’ ” Hogrefe said. “I absolutely knew that we couldn’t wait on another agency to step up and we had to go check this out as soon as possible.”
When police arrived at the scene, Wahhaj was armed with an “AR-15 rifle, five loaded 30-round magazines, and four loaded pistols, including one in his pocket,” according to Hogrefe. Wahhaj and Morton refused to cooperate with authorities.
The sheriff described the living conditions as “the ugliest looking, filthiest” he’s ever seen.
The children ranging in age from 1 to 15 were removed from the compound and turned over to state child-welfare workers. (AP)
“The only food we saw were a few potatoes and a box of rice in the filthy trailer,” Hogrefe said in a news release. “But what was most surprising, and heartbreaking was when the team located a total of five adults and 11 children that looked like third world country refugees not only with no food or fresh water, but with no shoes, personal hygiene and basically dirty rags for clothing.”
Abdul-Ghani’s mother reported in December her son missing after Wahhaj took the boy to the park in Clayton County, Ga., and didn’t return for nine days, The Albuquerque Jounral reported. The mother said the 3-year-old suffers from a medical condition.
Law enforcement officers searching the compound for the missing child didn't locate him but found 11 other children in filthy conditions and hardly any food, a sheriff said Saturday. (AP)
Wahhaj and the boy were last seen about two weeks after the child disappeared. The pair were involved in a car crash on I-65 in Alabama. Another five children and two adults were also with Wahhaj and the boy in a vehicle that was registered to Morton, CBS46 reported.
Authorities said on Saturday they believe the boy was at the compound in recent weeks, but could not get information from any of the five adults found on the property.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Katherine Lam is a breaking and trending news digital producer for Fox News. Follow her on Twitter at @bykatherinelam
Bayan Wang, Arizona RepublicPublished 6:00 a.m. MT Aug. 4, 2018 | Updated 10:47 a.m. MT Aug. 4, 2018
Bode Miller and his wife Morgan Beck Miller have a powerful warning for all parents after the tragic death of their 19-month-old daughter Emeline. Time
The issue is particularly poignant in Arizona, where child drownings continue to outpace the national average and Drowning Prevention Month has started.
Emeline Miller drowned in an Orange County, California, pool in in June, despite paramedics' attempts to revive her.
"We are beyond devastated," Bodie Miller wrote in an Instagram post at the time. "Never in a million years did we think we would experience a pain like this."
Three days into August's Drowning Impact Awareness Month, Morgan Miller's Friday Instagram post urges, "Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, Aunts and Uncles, EVERYONE.... to be aware of water and place as many barriers between your child and those bodies of water."
How Arizona ranks
Children between the ages of 1 and 4 in Arizona are drowning at nearly two times the national rate, according to Tiffaney Isaacson, a senior injury prevention specialist at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
The awareness month was established 15 years ago by the Phoenix Children's Hospital.
"The common theme is really parenting," Isaacson said, noting nothing can replace adult supervision when it comes to a child's safety near water.
Leaving children unattended near swimming pools is one of the biggest factors, she said.
At least 163 fatal drownings of children under the age of 15 occurred during the summer of 2017 across the nation, and Arizona was ranked fourth among states, according to the USA Swimming Foundation.
The Drowning Prevention of Coalition of Arizona, which compiles statistics on water-related incidents, reports there were 28 water-related deaths in Maricopa and Pinal counties this year through July 30. While most involved adults, nine were children 5 or under.
The Phoenix Fire Department demonstrates what to do if you see someone unresponsive in a pool.Wochit
Preventing drownings
Parents need to decide "who will be the boss of the pool at the poolside that day," Isaacson said.
"It has to be an adult who is sober and who can swim. They should turn their cellphone off," and switch supervising duties with another adult every 15 minutes.
Phoenix Fire Department Capt. Jake Van Hook said firefighters regularly see distressing drowning situations that could have been prevented.
"One parent was in the bedroom watching some television, the other was in the living room with the kids," Van Hook said. "Neither realized that the child opened up the patio door and went into the pool. He did not survive."
Both parents thought the child was with the other parent, he added.
Megan Miller, in an Instagram post, expressed the pain she feels every day:
"I often find myself wanting to reach into videos and pictures and just pull you out. Searching for ways to bring you back so our family is whole again.''
To celebrate, UNICEF joins partners in emphasizing the benefits of breastfeeding, and renewing our longstanding commitment to promoting the practice to help ensure the healthy growth, development and survival of children around the world.
UNICEF has long advocated for breastfeeding as the way to give babies the best start in life. In the developing world, it's the closest thing there is to a magic bullet against child malnutrition and infant mortality.
Breastmilk is safe and reliable. It is always the right temperature, requires no preparation and is available even in environments with poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water — a steady and complete source of nutrition, even when resources are scarce and in times of crisis. Breastmilk contains all the water a baby needs, even in hot climates.
It also contains a mother's antibodies needed to combat disease. Children who are breastfed are less likely to contract diarrhea-related illnesses and respiratory infections, and are at lower risk of obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions later in life. Breastfeeding is also known to boost cognitive development and lead to higher educational achievement.
Optimal breastfeeding would save more than 820,000 young lives every year
Even a delay of a few hours can have life-threatening consequences. Studies show that newborns who began breastfeeding between two and 23 hours after birth had a 33% greater risk of dying compared with those who began breastfeeding within one hour of birth; and among newborns who started breastfeeding a day or more after birth, the risk was more than twice as high.
Skin-to-skin contact along with suckling stimulates the mother's production of breastmilk and — critically — colostrum, often called baby's first vaccine. "When it comes to the start of breastfeeding, timing is everything," UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore said. The UNICEF/WHO report, entitled Capture the Moment, analyzes data from 76 countries and explores the reasons so many newborns are left waiting too long. "Each year, millions of newborns miss out on the benefits of early breastfeeding, and the reasons — all too often — are things we can change," Fore said.
While overall breastfeeding rates have gone up in recent years, other persistent gaps are a strong indication that countries are not informing, empowering and supporting every mother to breastfeed.
ensuring mothers receive appropriate counseling and practical assistance in the first week after delivery, to increase their chances of success.
"Breastfeeding is the best gift a mother, rich or poor, can give her child, as well as herself," said Shahida Azfar, UNICEF's Acting Deputy Executive Director. "We must give the world's mothers the support they need to breastfeed."
There has been progress in recent years. Countries like India and Vietnam, for example, have put into place strong policies to protect and promote breastfeeding. Others, like Turkmenistan, have very high rates of mothers giving birth in baby-friendly hospitals where breastfeeding is encouraged. Almost all mothers in New Zealand and Sri Lanka give birth at a baby-friendly facility. Cultural and political factors also play a role, as well as the level of support a new mother receives from her baby's father, her family, employer and community.
Breastfeeding and sustainable development go hand in hand. Improving the health and well-being of women and children provides a foundation for a more prosperous future for all.
OLD BRIDGE, NJ — An Old Bridge man who has two prior child pornography convictions resulting from arrests in 2006 and 2009 pleaded guilty Thursday to a new child pornography charge stemming from his arrest last year in "Operation Safety Net."
Kevin G. Wenng Jr., 36, of Old Bridge, pictured above, pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Dennis V. Nieves on Thursday, Aug. 2 to possessing more than 100 files of child pornography. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Wenng be sentenced to five years in state prison.
He already was registered as a sex offender under Megan's Law, but the state will now recommend that he be ordered to be subject to parole supervision for life. Wenng is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 2.
Wenng was arrested on May 9, 2017, by detectives from the New Jersey State Police, Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office and Old Bridge police dept. State police had received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about a user who uploaded numerous files of child pornography to a cloud storage account. The account was linked to IP addresses that were traced to Wenng. The detectives seized a desktop computer and two cell phones from Wenng. A total of 119 images and 65 videos of child pornography were found on the cell phones.
Wenng was among 79 people arrested in "Operation Safety Net," a nine-month, multi-agency child protection operation conducted in 2017 by the New Jersey Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which is led by the New Jersey State Police and includes the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), all 21 county prosecutors' offices, and many other state, county and local law enforcement agencies.
Ten alleged "hands-on" offenders were arrested in Operation Safety Net, including eight New Jersey men, as well as men in California and Indiana who allegedly tried to have children transported interstate from New Jersey so they could sexually assault them.
In 2007, Wenng pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and was sentenced to three years in state prison. He was required to register as a sex offender under Megan's Law. In 2010, he pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to five years of probation.
Mugshot provided by the New Jersey Attorney General.
If you have young children, you need to know which household products could be the most dangerous. Recent data shows out of two million poison control calls, nearly half involved kids age six and under.
You've probably heard the warnings about button batteries, as young children can easily swallow them.
Consumer Reports suggest if you have toys and other household electronics, make sure you secure the battery compartments with a screwdriver.
Other dangers you may not think about are cosmetics and personal care products. Hand sanitizers, mouthwash, perfume, and -- perhaps surprisingly -- vanilla extract, are all alcohol-based.
One more piece of advice, Consumer Reports recommends keeping personal care products and cleaners in their original bottles so kids know what it is. A different container, like a travel-size bottle, may not have child-resistant caps or a safety nozzle.
In response to the urgent and growing crisis in Haiti, the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF will match all donations to UNICEF’s relief efforts for children impacted by Hurricane Matthew. All donations will be matched $1-for-$1 until Thursday at 11:59pm PT. Read more...
Olivia Harrison visited Boston to address the 60th Annual Meeting of UNICEF National Committees and visit with children who participated in the groundbreaking UNICEF Kid Power Read more...
August 1, 2015 marks the 44th anniversary of George Harrison’s groundbreaking Concert for Bangladesh, as well as 10 years since former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan approached the Harrison family
Celebrating the 44th anniversary of the Concert for Bangladesh: George Harrison Fund for UNICEF invests in innovative program to promote fitness and save lives 31 July 2015
August 1, 2015 marks the 44th anniversary of George Harrison’s groundbreaking Concert for Bangladesh, as well as 10 years since former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan approached the Harrison family and created the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF to formalize UNICEF’s longstanding relationship with the Harrisons. In the tradition established by George and Ravi Shankar, the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF has supported programs in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Angola, Romania, the Horn of Africa and Burma. This year, the Fund brought critical aid to victims of the earthquake in Nepal and invested in a groundbreaking new movement powered by kids called UNICEF Kid Power.
Built for a new generation of global citizens, Kid Power uses the world’s first wearable-for-good to get kids moving by tapping into their inherent desire to help their peers. By joining Kid Power and getting more active, kids take action to fight global malnutrition with every move.
To participate, kids wear Kid Power Bands, which measure their movement and unlock Kid Power Points. The more active they are, the more points they earn. Kid Power Points are then converted into funding by partners, which UNICEF deploys to deliver lifesaving packets of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to severely malnourished children. The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF is the founding partner of UNICEFKid Power and its generous support has allowed the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to pursue this 21st century approach to global citizenship.
Following a seed investment by the George Harrison Fund and a successful city-wide pilot in Sacramento, California, in October, 2014, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF launched Kid Power in New York, Boston and Dallas in March 2015. As of today more than 12,000 American 3rd, 4th and 5th graders have joined the Kid Power movement. They have earned enough “Kid Power Points” to feed and save the lives of more than 1,260 kids in some of the world’s poorest countries.
In addition, Disney and Lucasfilm team up to launch Star Wars Force for Change and the second phase of this campaign focuses on mobilizing Star Wars fans to raise money for Kid Power. None of this would have been possible without this visionary investment by the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
There are plans to expand UNICEF Kid Power to 100,000 American students in 10 cities starting in March 2016. The hope is to eventually get 1,000,000 American kids moving to help save the lives of 1,000,000 kids worldwide.
Nepal
On April 25, 2015, a massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, the country’s deadliest in more than 80 years. Just a few weeks later on May 12, a second earthquake of 7.3 magnitude struck. More than 8,800 people died, nearly a third of them children. Another 22,309 people were injured and more than 450,000 people were displaced.
The morning of the quake, both UNICEF and the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF responded immediately. The Fund released $500,000 to UNICEF to provide life-saving aid to the more than 1.1 million children who were affected by the events.
This aid provided hundreds of thousands of people with clean water, sanitation facilities and hygiene kits within the first 48 hours. UNICEF set up over 182 Child-Friendly Spaces and 610 Temporary Learning Centers, where children could play and learn while their parents set about rebuilding their homes and lives.
It is a long road ahead for many in Nepal, but UNICEF, with the support of donors like the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF, will be there as the people of Nepal work to build back better and stronger. UNICEF thanks the Harrison Family and the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF for their faith and action and their ongoing efforts to protect the health, safety and well.