Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 1 June 2022

UNDP

PRESS RELEASE

UNDP Pakistan appoints Fawad Khan as its National Goodwill Ambassador

Islamabad, 01 June 2022—UNDP Pakistan has appointed acclaimed actor Mr. Fawad Khan as its National Goodwill Ambassador. UNDP’s Goodwill Ambassadors are inspirational individuals who serve as spokespersons to uphold the United Nations Charter and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The launching ceremony took place in Islamabad today, where UNDP Pakistan’s Resident Representative Mr Knut Ostby, Deputy Resident Representative Ms Aliona Niculita, Head of Communications Unit Ms Ayesha Babar, and UNDP’s young beneficiaries working as green social entrepreneurs were part of the event.

The ceremony started with the contract signing between Mr Knut Ostby and Mr Fawad Khan, followed by the screening of a climate action advocacy film ‘Don’t Choose Extinction’. The film, launched by the UNDP Headquarters during COP26, advocates for phasing out fossil fuels for a more sustainable and equitable future. To reach wider population and to raise awareness on the issue of climate change in Pakistan, Mr Fawad Khan has done the voice-over of the film in Urdu.

“We are incredibly proud to have Fawad Khan as our Goodwill Ambassador. As you all know, climate change is one of the most serious and immediate risks we’re facing. I appreciate that as a spokesperson for Agenda 2030, Fawad Khan’s first advocacy support highlights climate action," remarked UNDP Pakistan’s Resident Representative, Mr Knut Ostby.

“I am honoured to be signed as the National Goodwill Ambassador for UNDP Pakistan,” commented Mr Fawad Khan while speaking to the audience of green ambassadors and social entrepreneurs. “I truly believe that the Sustainable Development Goals provide us with a roadmap for peace and prosperity, for people and the planet. This is an exciting opportunity for me to raise awareness and advocate the Agenda 2030.”

The event concluded with a conversation with the green ambassadors and start-ups on UNDP’s role in climate action in Pakistan, and how UNDP is amplifying young people’s voices in decisions on climate action.

For additional information, please contact Ayesha Babar at ayesha.babar@undp.org   or +92 (51) 835 5650   

UNICEF

PRESS RELEASE

One hundred days of war in Ukraine have left 5.2 million children in need of humanitarian assistance

At least 262 children have been killed and 415 injured in attacks since 24 February

NEW YORK/GENEVA/KYIV, 1 June 2022 – Nearly 100 days of war in Ukraine have wrought devastating consequences for children at a scale and speed not seen since World War II, UNICEF said today. Three million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries are now in need of humanitarian assistance. Almost two out of every three children have been displaced by fighting.

Based on reports verified by OHCHR, on average more than two children are killed and more than four injured each day in Ukraine – mostly in attacks using explosive weapons in populated areas. Civilian infrastructure on which children depend continues to be damaged or destroyed; this so far includes at least 256 health facilities and one in six UNICEF-supported ‘Safe Schools’ in the country’s east. Hundreds of other schools across the country have also been damaged. Conditions for children in eastern and southern Ukraine where fighting has intensified are increasingly desperate.

“June 1st is International Day for the Protection of Children in Ukraine and across the region,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Instead of celebrating the occasion, we are solemnly approaching June 3 – the 100th day of a war that has shattered the lives of millions of children. Without an urgent ceasefire and negotiated peace, children will continue to suffer – and fallout from the war will impact vulnerable children around the world.”

UNICEF is also warning that the war has caused an acute child protection crisis. Children fleeing violence are at significant risk of family separation, violence, abuse, sexual exploitation, and trafficking. Most have been exposed to deeply traumatic events. These children urgently need safety, stability, child protection services, and psychosocial support – especially those who are unaccompanied or have been separated from their families. More than anything, they need peace.

At the same time, the war and mass displacement are devastating livelihoods and economic opportunities, leaving many families without sufficient income to meet basic needs and unable to provide adequate support for their children.

UNICEF continues to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and to protect all children from harm. This includes ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and attacks on civilian infrastructure. UNICEF is appealing for full humanitarian access to safely and quickly reach children in need wherever they may be.

UNICEF and its partners are on the ground in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, working to provide children and their families with humanitarian assistance, including child protection, water and sanitation, health, nutrition and education services.

In Ukraine, UNICEF and partners have distributed life-saving health and medical supplies for nearly 2.1 million people in war-affected areas; enabled access to safe water for over 2.1 million people living in areas where networks have been damaged or destroyed; reached over 610,000 children and caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support; and provided learning supplies to nearly 290,000 children. Almost 300,000 vulnerable families have registered for a UNICEF-Ministry of Social Policy humanitarian cash assistance programme.

In refugee-hosting countries, UNICEF supports national, municipal and local systems that deliver essential services and protection, particularly for the most vulnerable children. This includes anti-trafficking training for border guards; expanding learning opportunities and integrating refugee children into schools; procuring vaccines and medical supplies; and establishing play and learning hubs that provide young children with a much-needed sense of normalcy and respite. Twenty-five UNICEF-UNHCR Blue Dots – one-stop safe havens that provide support and services for families on the move, have been established along major transit routes in Moldova, Romania, Poland, Italy, Bulgaria and Slovakia. In Moldova, over 52,000 refugees, mostly in female-headed households, have been reached through a UNICEF-UNHCR multi-purpose cash assistance programme.

UNICEF has issued a US $624.2M appeal for funds to support its humanitarian response inside Ukraine and a US $324.7M appeal for its response in refugee-hosting countries.

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Notes to editors:

Multimedia materials available here: https://weshare.unicef.org/Package/2AM4080ZGVFH

Find out more about UNICEF's work in Ukraine here: www.unicef.org/ukraineconflict

ABOUT UNICEF

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone. For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit www.unicef.org 

Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

For more information please contact:

Marixie Mercado, UNICEF Geneva, +41 79 559 7172, mmercado@unicef.org  

Christopher Tidey, UNICEF New York, +1 917 340 3017, ctidey@unicef.org