Blog

Every year an estimated eighteen million babies are born prematurely, and over one million babies worldwide die from complications related to pre-term birth. Pre-term birth, defined by the World Health Organisation as babies born before 37 weeks, is in fact the leading cause of death in children under five, accounting for 18% of these deaths- that’s more than malaria, diarrhoea and measles.

Every child deserves a chance to grow up healthy, learning and safe. Yet around the world millions of children are being left behind because of who they are or where they’re born. Too often these children are Indigenous.

Last week I wrote about my recent trip to Somaliland and the impact that drought and food crises is having on children, families and their livestock. At another stop on our journey, we visited some mobile health clinics. Seeing these programs in action generates a sense of what we can achieve, however with the crisis deepening, the mood is somber. At a clinic stop, children were measured and weighed to determine their nutritional status. Those with moderate malnutrition were moved to the…

In March, the United Nations declared that the multiple droughts, food shortages and even famine happening today in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen mean that the world is facing its worst humanitarian crisis since 1945. Millions of people need urgent help.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) focuses on women in work. In 2016, World Leaders adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, which have at their core gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. The SDGs speak about bold goals like ending poverty, promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, achieving gender equality and unlocking the full potential of women in the world of work.

In October, I was deployed to Haiti to be part of Save the Children’s Hurricane Matthew Response. My specific focus was integrating gender equality into our emergency response, which is a crucial activity in an emergency response because it is often overlooked by humanitarian actors. Women, girls, boys and men all have different needs and vulnerabilities, as well as strengths, in all contexts. In emergencies, everything changes due to the stress and trauma of the crisis, the breakdown of the…

Ruba* (31) is a Save the Children staff member in the West Bank, in the occupied Palestinian territory. On Mothers’ Day 2026, she was travelling with her two-month-old daughter to visit her mother when her car was violently attacked by Israeli settlers.