United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is facing significant challenges in maternal and newborn care, according to latest reports released by the United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). While progress has been made since 1990, the country continues to record the highest rate of stillbirths in South Asia, demanding immediate and scaled-up interventions. The UN IGME child mortality report highlights that over 100,000 children in Bangladesh died before their fifth birthday in 2023, with nearly two-thirds of these casualties occurring within the first 28 days of life. The second report, focused on stillbirths, indicates that Bangladesh records over 63,000 stillbirths annually, equating to 1 in every 41 births resulting in a stillbirth - the highest in South Asia. To meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) related target, Bangladesh must save an additional 28,000 newborns each year, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced maternal and newborn care. "Over 100,000 newborns in Bangladesh die yearly from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like sepsis and pneumonia, a violation of their basic right to survive and thrive,” said Farook Adrian Doomun, Unicef Representative in Bangladesh. “We can save millions of babies and mothers if we invest more in strengthening the health system, focusing in priority on primary health care, and increase the number of trained health professionals, especially midwife at all levels, providing them the right tools so that every newborn is in a safe pair of hands,” he said. Unicef, in collaboration with WHO, is committed to working with the interim government of Bangladesh and partners to achieve quality health care to prevent maternal and child mortality, Farook Adrian added. Key challenges contributing to high newborn mortality and stillbirth rates in Bangladesh include a higher number of home deliveries (30%), limited access to small and sick newborn care, and the absence of midwives closer to their homes for normal vaginal delivery. Besides, other risks for mothers and newborns include inadequate 24/7 quality services at Upazila level, inadequate postnatal care at primary healthcare level and unregulated private sector, leading to preventable deaths from birth asphyxia, prematurity and infections. Dr Yunus arrives in Bangkok ahead of BIMSTEC Summit Moreover, poor antenatal and labour care, along with inadequate prevention and management of other disease conditions during pregnancy, perpetuate Bangladesh's high stillbirth rate, preventing the country from meeting its SDG targets. Funding and resource limitations exacerbate these issues, hindering progress towards reducing child mortality. “Stillbirths and preventable child deaths remain a heartbreaking reality for millions worldwide. Bangladesh has made significant progress in maternal and child health over the past decades; yet disparities in access to quality and timely care persist,” said Dr Ahmed Jamsheed Mohamed, WHO’s Representative in Bangladesh “We must act now to reverse the trends and end these tragic losses. WHO’s recommendations on antenatal and intrapartum care, the WHO Labour Care Guide, and the Global Strategy for Women, Children, and Adolescents’ Health offer evidence-based actions for the government and stakeholders. With only five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need accelerated actions for improving maternal and child health,” he said. WHO, in collaboration with Unicef, calls for immediate and collective action to end preventable child deaths and stillbirths. “Through strong government commitment, sustained investment in primary healthcare-oriented systems, and guided by global evidence and best practices, we can prevent these tragic losses and build a healthier future for every child, said Dr Ahmed Jamsheed. Bangladesh's achievements in maternal and child health are commendable; and yet, weakened health systems often lead to inadequate care. A coordinated and unified system is necessary to reduce preventable deaths of mothers and children. Unicef and WHO urge the Interim Government of Bangladesh to increase facility births with skilled birth attendants, including at Union level, through midwives, expand newborn care units, boost trained nurses and midwifes, and improve antenatal, delivery and postnatal care. Increasing funding for trained staff and medical supplies is crucial to reinforce maternal and child health care, according to the Unicef.

UNICEF, a UN agency dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of children worldwide, has said the interim government and law enforcement agencies should ensure immediate action and accountability for all reported cases of violence against children through strengthened investigation, prosecution, and judicial processes. Establishing a specialised child protection unit within law enforcement, trained in trauma-informed investigations and victim-sensitive approaches, is fundamental, said UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh Rana Flowers. Severe malnutrition among Rohingya children surge by 27%: Unicef Besides, she said, expanding and professionalising the social service workforce would provide gender-sensitive, child-centered support for survivors and their families. To secure justice for victims and survivors, independent and gender-sensitive prosecutors must be appointed to ensure timely prosecution and hold legal actors accountable for meeting the government’s 90-day case resolution target, she mentioned. The UNICEF Representative said she is "profoundly horrified" by the alarming rise in reported cases of sexual violence against children, especially girls, in Bangladesh over the last weeks. "I am especially concerned with the recent surge in horrific cases of child rape and sexual violence, including in places meant to protect and nurture children like educational institutions," Flowers said in a statement on recent cases of violence against children on Sunday. She said their hearts are especially heavy with the tragic death of the eight-year-old child from Magura a few days ago. Her death serves as a "devastating reminder" of how children, especially girls, are being subjected to grave violations of their fundamental rights and safety. Japan, Unicef sign $ 3.3mn deal to strengthen assistance for Rohingya children Sadly, Flowers said, this young girl´s death is merely one of many horrifying acts against children. According to UNICEF's monitoring, a distressing number of children have reportedly fallen victims of rape and murder in recent months. From January 2025 to March 16, media and local human rights organisations recorded approximately 50 cases of child rape. The trend seems to be getting even more worrisome - only on Monday 10 March, there were 7 children killed and 6 confirmed cases of violence. These statistics are more than just numbers; they represent shattered lives, profound trauma for survivors, and unimaginable grief for families and communities, Flowers said. These incidents have sparked deep concern across the nation, raising urgent questions about the safety and protection of children and adolescents, especially in the hands of people they trust at home and in schools. According to UNICEF estimates, 1 in 8 girls and women alive today globally experienced rape or sexual assault before the age of 18, and studies in Bangladesh confirm that perpetrators are often known to their victims. In response to this crisis, the UNICEF welcomed the order issued by the government to bring the perpetrators to justice immediately, while insisting on calling rape, such a heinous crime, by its rightful name. UNICEF acknowledged the interim government’s commitment to a "zero tolerance" policy against violence against women and girls. "We also commend the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for its efforts in removing harmful content from online platforms," Flowers said. However, while these measures are crucial, they must be part of a broader, sustained effort to address the root causes of violence against children, she said. To create a society where every child can grow up free from fear and violence, Flowers said, the interim government and all stakeholders need to take immediate and decisive actions to strengthen and invest in child protection systems. The media also plays a crucial role in generating a safer society for children. Authorities should enforce ethical media and child safeguarding policies to protect children’s dignity and well-being during investigations and legal proceedings. Concurrently, Flowers said, media outlets should commit to responsible reporting by safeguarding the identity, privacy, and dignity of child survivors and victims, avoiding sensationalism, and preventing further harm to victims, families and communities. And very important, she said, they need the good men of Bangladesh to stand against all forms of violence and every parent to ensure that boys and girls are raised to respect the other, not to have some false sense of entitlement to abuse. The lack of safety and security for children contributes to the persistence of child marriage and other forms of violence. "Every child has the right to grow up in a safe and protective environment, both at home and in public spaces. Child survivors must be shielded from further trauma, especially during investigations and legal proceedings," Flowers said. Survivors deserve dignity, healing and justice, she said, adding that it is essential to respect their right to privacy—by authorities, media, law enforcement, the judiciary, and the public— to support their recovery. For child victims, Flowers said, justice must be swift and uncompromising, ensuring accountability for those responsible. UNICEF urges safer, fairer future for Bangladesh’s youth; calls for ending criminalization of children "At UNICEF, we remain steadfast in our commitment to child rights and protection and stand ready to support the interim government in strengthening child protection systems and ensuring a safer Bangladesh for all children," Flowers said.

The UN children’s fund on Thursday accused armed men, likely on both sides of the conflict in eastern Congo, of raping scores of children over the past weeks as rebels expand their footprint and push government forces out. The accusation came as the conflict in the mineral-rich region shows no signs of abating. UNICEF cited reports of the abuses, saying the offenders were apparently from among both the M23 rebels and the government forces fighting them. "In the North and South Kivu provinces, we are receiving horrific reports of grave violations against children by parties to the conflict, including rape and other forms of sexual violence at levels surpassing anything we have seen in recent years,” UNICEF's Executive Director Catherine Russell said in a statement. “One mother recounted to our staff how her six daughters, the youngest just 12 years old, were systematically raped by armed men while searching for food," Russell added. Health facilities in the restive region reported during the week from Jan. 27 to Feb. 2 a total of 572 rape cases — more than a fivefold increase compared to the week before, Lianne Gutcher, UNICEF's communication chief in Congo, told The Associated Press. Of those, 170 of those treated were children, she added. US aid freeze halts NGO support for displaced Somalis Armed men perpetrated the rapes but it was unclear what specific armed group or army they belonged to, Gutcher said. “It is suspected that all parties to the conflict committed sexual violence,” she added. The Rwanda-backed M23 rebels are the most prominent among more than 100 armed groups vying for control of Congo’s mineral-rich east in a decades-long conflict that has created one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. In late January, the rebels captured Goma, the region’s largest city, in a major escalation of the fighting. Last week, the United Nations Human Rights Council launched a commission that will investigate atrocities, including rapes and killings akin to “summary executions” committed by both the Congolese army and the M23 rebels in the region since the beginning of the year. On Monday, 84 Congolese soldiers accused of murder, rape and other crimes in the country's east went on trial in the city of Bukavu. The city is under the control of government forces but the rebel offensive has inched closer to it recently. Congo's Health Minister Roger Kamba, meanwhile, said 143 patients who were being treated for mpox fled from Goma’s hospitals as the rebels pushed into the city. Some were found or came back on their own but 110 have not returned. The minister said the city has also recorded nearly 100 cases of cholera since the rebel offensive started. Goma is now fully under rebel control. Kamba added that Congolese authorities, with the help of aid groups, were able to send vaccines, medical supplies and medicines to Goma through a humanitarian corridor via neighboring Kenya and Rwanda. He did not provide details. On Thursday, Congolese musician Delcat Idengo was killed in Goma in what authorities described as an “assassination.” Congo's government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya blamed his death on “Rwanda and its accomplices.” The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the circumstances surrounding the death of the artist, known for his politically charged songs.

Two in three young people reported “too much fake news and misinformation”  as the most significant cause of stress on social media in a new anonymous poll of children and young people in Bangladesh by UNICEF. Bullying and negative comments were cited as the most stressful experience by a further one seventh of respondents (slightly more for girls), while one out of seven also pointed to seeing harmful/upsetting content as the main cause of stress when using social media.  Almost 29,000 responded to the poll through UNICEF platform U-Report in Bangladesh, said the UN agency on Tuesday. Among other issues, it asked for opinions about rules governing content on social media. While a minority (23 percent) of respondents said that rules “might stop people from saying what they really think”, more than double that number (52 percent) thought that “rules are important to stop harmful behaviors like bullying and hate speech.” When asked what might happen if rules were relaxed, a staggering 79 percent said vulnerable groups in their community would be harmed, identifying ethnic or religious minorities (30 percent), children and youth (26 per cent) and women and girls (23 per cent) among those they think would be targeted.  “We already know from painful experience that misinformation and hate speech don’t just exist online - they can fuel real-world consequences, putting children at risk of mental and physical harm, especially children that already face discrimination like girls and minorities,” said Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh. Climate crises disrupted schooling for 33 million Bangladeshi children in 2024: UNICEF “Young people in Bangladesh know digital spaces give positive opportunities for connection, learning, and open debate, but they’re also weighing up the risks now, as a lack of rules and regulations make these spaces feel unsafe for some.”  More than half of poll respondents said they had noticed changes to the kind of content they are seeing on social media, with mixed responses on the impact this was having - 17 percent of respondents said they were feeling less safe online. “The responsibility belongs to all of us, including policy makers, regulators, the big tech companies, educators, parents and caregivers, and the young people using the platforms – to ensure children and young people can access accurate and reliable information online, know how to distinguish truth from misinformation, and safely navigate online spaces,” emphasized Flowers.  UNICEF is committed to supporting environments where children in Bangladesh are safe from harmful content, hate and discrimination. In the increasingly complex, globalized digital environment, UNICEF continues to engage with relevant actors to advocate for safe, inclusive digital environments for children and young people.  UNICEF particularly called for urgent actions from policy makers, regulators and technology companies with a presence in Bangladesh to facilitate: Moderation systems and policies that protect children and uphold their right to safety and dignity online; Safe, inclusive, and empowering digital spaces, where every child can express themselves without fear; Digital literacy education for young people, equipping them with cyber safety skills needed to critically assess online information, identify misinformation, and engage in responsible digital interactions.

Severe weather events disrupted education for children around the world, including 33 million in Bangladesh in 2024, according to an analysis released by UNICEF today. The report, "Learning Interrupted: Global Snapshot of Climate-Related School Disruptions in 2024," is the first of its kind, and reveals that heatwaves, cyclones, floods, and other extreme weather events led to multiple rounds of school closures around the world. Globally, at least 247 million students in 77 countries had their schooling disrupted by heatwaves, tropical storms, floods and droughts in 2024. South Asia was the most affected region. In Bangladesh, nationwide heatwaves in April and May 2024 left children at risk of dehydration and heatstroke, forcing schools to close across the whole country for up to two weeks, and several districts went on to suffer subsequent school disruption due to cyclone Remal, followed by intense flooding in June. UNICEF appeals for US$9.9 bln funding to support children hit by conflict, crisis   Up to 18.4 million people were impacted by the floods countrywide, including 7 million children. Sylhet district was the worst hit, with severe flooding causing widespread infrastructure damage and leaving more than 600,000 learners without access to education. According to estimates from UNICEF in Bangladesh, children in Sylhet lost up to 8 weeks of school days cumulatively and areas in Khulna, Chattogram and Rangpur districts each suffered 6 weeks of climate-induced school closures over 12 months. “The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, exacerbated by the climate crisis, is having a knock-on effect on children’s education in Bangladesh and depriving children of their right to learn”, said Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh. “Extreme temperatures and other climate hazards don’t only damage schools, they can affect students’ concentration, memory and mental and physical health. Prolonged school closures increase the chance of children – especially adolescent girls – dropping out of school and being married off by families to cope with economic stress”. According to the UNICEF Children’s Climate Risk Index, children in Bangladesh are already among the most exposed and vulnerable in the world to climate and environmental hazards. These disasters often put further strains on the ‘learning poverty’ in the country, where one in two children cannot read at their grade level and two-thirds are unable to do basic counting after completing primary education. In addition, the country loses some of the brightest from their classrooms, as girls and Bangladesh pay the price of ranking among the top 10 countries in the world with the highest percentage of child marriage. The report notes that schools and education systems are largely ill-equipped to protect students from these impacts, and climate-centred finance investments in education remain strikingly low. UNICEF is calling on international climate financing institutions and donors, the private sector and the interim Government of Bangladesh to prioritize the needs of children in policies and plans, including by: Accelerating financing to improve climate resilience in the education sector, including investing in proven and promising solutions to build climate-smart learning facilities that are safe and inclusive for all children. Number of children recruited by gangs in Haiti soars by 70%: UNICEF Ensuring national climate plans – including Nationally Determined Contribution 3.0 and the National Adaptation Plan – strengthen child-critical social services, such as education, to be more climate- smart and disaster- resilient, and contain adequate emission reduction pledges to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. Ensuring children and young people are part of the climate decision-making process at all levels. “Children in Bangladesh are at the forefront of two interconnected crises - climate change and deepening learning poverty, threatening both their survival and future. As children continue to speak up and call for urgent action on the devastating impacts of the climate crisis, decision-makers must heed their calls and place their needs at the centre of climate policies and financing plans,” said Flowers.

UNICEF has launched a US$ 9.9 billion funding appeal to reach 109 million children in 146 countries with lifesaving aid next year. Around the world, 213 million children are at the sharp end of unpredictable and volatile humanitarian emergencies. The funds will be utilised in UNICEF’s humanitarian response to multiple conflicts, climate shocks, displacement, and health crises expected next year. With 109 million children targeted by UNICEF for humanitarian assistance in 2025, donor funding is critical to ensure the response is timely, effective, and sufficient.  “The scale of children’s humanitarian needs is at a historically high level, with more children impacted every day,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. In 2024, over 57.5 million children were born into countries affected by conflict or other humanitarian crises where UNICEF has an emergency appeal. That figure is expected to rise by at least 400,000 in 2025, it said. The US$9.9billion appeal for 2025 highlights the pressing need to tackle a growing array of humanitarian challenges confronting children in 146 countries. The top five appeals by funding requirements for 2025 are for Afghanistan, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Palestine and Lebanon.  Afghan economy shows modest signs of growth but recovery remains fragile, says World Bank                              Last year, donors contributed more than 50 per cent of UNICEF’s thematic humanitarian funding to just four emergencies – Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria, and Ukraine – a fraction of the 412 emergencies UNICEF responded to in 107 countries. Meanwhile, humanitarian operations in countries like Burkina Faso, Lebanon, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mali, and Myanmar are the most severely underfunded. “Support through flexible humanitarian funding is critical for our work for children affected by crises,” said Russell.  

UNICEF has appointed Gargee Tanushree Paul as a new youth advocate in Bangladesh for the coming two years. During the signing ceremony for her new role, Gargee met with Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh, and discussed children's rights in the country, said a press release received on Thursday. In her new role as a youth advocate, Gargee will engage with UNICEF in global and national moments to amplify children’s voices and advocate for children’s rights including increasing awareness of climate action, protecting their future from violence, neglect, abuse and childhood traumas, child marriage, learning crisis and prioritising the most vulnerable and marginalised children in all areas of development. Japan providing assistance worth USD 1 million to flood-affected areas through UNHCR, UNICEF Gargee, now 16-year-old, is a dedicated child rights advocate and journalist, currently a student in Grade 10 at Scholastica School, said the release.   She engages in supporting underprivileged children, as well as on projects to improve education for indigenous children. Gargee has published over 200 reports with child journalism media hello.bdnews24.com covering key issues like child marriage, education, and climate change, said UNICEF on Wednesday. She has also led impactful awareness campaigns and charity drives, highlighting her commitment to UNICEF’s mission. Her background and active engagement make her an inspiring role model for children and young people. As a youth advocate, Gargee will inspire other young people to take action towards making the world a better place.    

When Joan Monfort took photos of Lionel Messi with a baby for a charity calendar almost 17 years ago, he knew the long-haired young man would make it big in soccer. He could not have imagined the little boy would as well. The baby in the photos — which have gone viral — was none other than Lamine Yamal, the Spanish wunderkind, who at 16 is showing such promise that he’s already being compared to the greats. The youngest to have played for Spain, he became the youngest player ever in the ongoing European Championship in Germany. Messi’s 109th goal leads defending champion Argentina over Canada 2-0 and into Copa America final One of the long-forgotten photos from 2007 resurfaced after Yamal’s father posted it on Instagram last week with the text “the beginning of two legends.” Monfort, 56, who works as a freelance photographer for The Associated Press and others, said the photo shoot took place in the visitors’ locker room at Barcelona’s Camp Nou in the autumn of 2007, when Yamal was just a few months old. Barcelona players posed with children and their families for a calendar as part of an annual charity drive by local newspaper Diario Sport and UNICEF. Monfort was in charge of the photo shoots — and it just so happened that Messi was paired with Yamal’s family. His mother, who is from Equatorial Guinea, is next to Messi and the baby in one of the photos. “We made the calendar with the help of UNICEF. So UNICEF did a raffle in the neighborhood of Roca Fonda in Mataró where Lamine’s family lived. They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barca player. And they won the raffle,” Monfort said. It wasn’t an easy assignment, he recalled, mainly because Messi wasn’t sure how to interact with baby Lamine, who was in a plastic tub for the shoot. “Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he’s shy,” Monfort said. “He was coming out of the locker room and suddenly he finds himself in another locker room with a plastic tub full of water and a baby in it. It was complicated. He didn’t even know how to hold him at first.” Messi was 20 at the time and already considered a big talent, but it would take a couple of years before he made his mark as the most outstanding player of his generation for Barcelona and Argentina. Sr. Division Football : Mohakhali Ekadosh beat Bangladesh Boys by 1-0 goal Like Messi, Yamal has gone through Barcelona’s renowned La Masia youth academy. Despite his age, he’s been one of Spain’s best players at Euro 2024, where his team will play France in the semifinals on Tuesday. Yamal will turn 17 on Saturday, the day before the final in Berlin. Monfort, 56, had no idea it was Yamal in those photos from 2007 until a friend messaged him as they started trending online. He’s had a long career as a sports photographer since 1991, following Barcelona around the world, but said he’s never experienced this level of excitement around any of his photos. “It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation,” he said. “To tell you the truth it’s a very nice feeling.”

The U.N. delivered grim news on global food security Wednesday: 2.4 billion people didn’t have constant access to food last year, as many as 783 million faced hunger, and 148 million children suffered from stunted growth. Five U.N. agencies said in the 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition report that while global hunger numbers stalled between 2021 and 2022 many places are facing deepening food crises. They pointed to Western Asia, the Caribbean and Africa, where 20% of the continent’s population is experiencing hunger, more than twice the global average. “Recovery from the global pandemic has been uneven, and the war in Ukraine has affected the nutritious food and healthy diets,” Qu Dongyu, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement. “This is the `new normal’ where climate change, conflict, and economic instability are pushing those on the margins even further from safety.” FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said the FAO food price index has been declining for about 15 months, but “food inflation has continued.” But he said not knowing if the deal that has enabled Ukraine to ship 32 metric tons of grain to world markets and is trying to overcome obstacles to Russian grain and fertilizer shipments will be renewed when it expires on July 17 “is not good for the markets.” UN warns its development goals for 2030 are in trouble and 575 million people will remain very poor If it isn’t renewed immediately “you will have a new spike for sure” in food prices, but how much and for how long will depend on how markets respond, he said. According to the report, people’s access to healthy diets has deteriorated across the world. More than 3.1 billion people – 42% of the global population – were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021, an increase of 134 million people compared to 2019, it said. Torero told a news conference launching the report that reducing the number of people eating unhealthy diets “is a big challenge, because it’s basically telling us that we have substantially to change the way we use our resources in the agricultural sector, in the agri-food system.” According to the latest research, he said, between 691 million and 783 million people were chronically undernourished in 2022, an average of 735 million which is 122 million more people than in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Eliminate legal barriers to women owning land: UN chief Torero said U.N. projections for 2030 indicate that 600 million people will still be suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2030, far from the U.N. development goal of achieving “Zero Hunger” by that date. In the report’s foreword, the heads of FAO, the World Food Program, the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF and the World Health Organization wrote that achieving Zero Hunger “poses a daunting challenge.” They called for redoubled efforts “to transform agri-food systems and leverage them” to reach the target. As for children, the report says they are continuing to suffer from malnutrition, with not only 148 million younger than 5 stunted but 45 million too thin for their height or “wasted,” while 37 million youngsters were overweight. Torero said the five agencies also looked at increased urbanization and found that people in rural and semi-urban areas are also consuming mass market products. “Normally, we used to believe that rural people will consume what they produce, but that’s not the case,” he said, explaining that in rural areas about 30% of the family’s food basket is purchased from the market, and in semi-urban and urban areas it is higher, which has implications for nutrition because of the consumption of more processed foods. WFP chief economist Arif Husain told reporters in a virtual briefing that in 2022 when the war in Ukraine was ongoing the food situation didn’t get worse because the donor community stepped up with about $14.2 billion, and the agency was able to provide aid to 160 million people, up from 97 million in 2019. Stop targeting truth, truth-tellers: UN Chief on World Press Freedom Day “My concern is that moving forward we are looking at huge funding cuts,” he said, citing WFP donations of just $4.2 billion by last week, 29% lower than at the same time last year.

The trail of destruction left by Cyclone Mocha in parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar is causing severe disruption to the lives of millions of vulnerable children and families, including many already living in dire conditions, says UNICEF on Wednesday. Even as the worst of the storm has passed, the risk of landslides remains high, and further dangers, including waterborne diseases, will likely grow in the days ahead. Cyclone Mocha hit the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar on 14 May, at around 15:00 local time, bringing heavy rainfall, storm surges, and strong winds reaching 175 mph. "Some of the world's most vulnerable children and families are, yet again, at the sharp end of a crisis they didn't create. The areas hit hardest by the storm are home to communities already living through conflict, poverty, instability, and climate and environmental shocks," said UNICEF's Executive Director Catherine Russell. Also read: US providing $250,000 to assist Cyclone Mocha emergency relief efforts: Peter Haas "As we urgently assess and respond to the immediate needs of children in the aftermath of this cyclone, we know with certainty that the best way to save and improve the lives of children and their families is by finding long-term solutions." In Bangladesh, home to the world's largest refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, one million Rohingya refugees faced the brunt of the heavy storms, half of them children. The refugee camps rank among the most tightly packed places on earth, exposing children to conditions ripe for disease, malnutrition, neglect, exploitation, and violence. The camps are also prone to mudslides, and children live in fragile temporary shelters. Cyclone Mocha has tied with 2019's Tropical Cyclone Fani as the strongest storm ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean. Scientists recently found that, while disaster management efforts have reduced the number of deaths during cyclones in recent years, climate change is threatening this progress. They noted that escalating frequency and intensity of storms will pose a far greater risk to Bangladesh in the coming decades.   While Cox's Bazar was spared the eye of the storm, thousands of people have been affected and several temporary shelters, facilities, and infrastructure that refugees have been provided have flooded and left severely damaged due to heavy winds and rains. Timely and urgent humanitarian access to the affected areas in both countries is critical. UNICEF is on the ground, assessing needs, and providing emergency relief. Together with local partners, UNICEF is prepositioning and deploying supplies in Bangladesh and Myanmar to ramp up our response services, including water and sanitation, child protection, health, nutrition, and education. By late Sunday, the storm weakened, leaving behind destroyed homes, health facilities, schools, and other critical infrastructure. Many of the hundreds of thousands of people affected are refugees or internally displaced people (IDPs), living in poorly structured shelters in camps and hard-to-reach areas. They rely heavily on humanitarian assistance for food, water, health, education, and protection. The situation is particularly worrisome in Myanmar. More than 16 million people – 5.6 million of them children – including 1.2 million internally displaced people of Rohingya, ethnic Rakhine and other communities, were in the path of the cyclone in Rakhine State, and locations in the north-west including Chin State and Sagaing and Magway Regions. The areas are low-lying and highly prone to flooding landslides. Assessments of the extent of the damage in Myanmar are challenging, largely due to interrupted transport and telecommunication services and inaccessibility of some roads due to trees falling and debris. However, early reports show that children were reportedly among the victims of the storm.