UNICEF Executive Director Meets Pope Leo XIV, Calls for Urgent Global Action for Children
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to draw urgent global attention to the suffering of children caught in war, poverty, and the escalating debt and climate crises.
Russell stressed that millions of children are enduring unimaginable hardship in conflict zones such as Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, Ukraine, Yemen, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while one billion more face the growing threat of climate change.
She warned that global cuts to foreign aid have severely undermined children’s access to health, education, and protection services, leaving the most vulnerable with little hope.
“Pope Leo has a powerful voice in spreading the message of peace and protection of children,” Russell said, urging world leaders to listen and act decisively.
Russell also thanked the Pope for his leadership on education access and debt relief, noting that many nations now spend more on repaying loans than on schools or healthcare.
As climate disasters intensify and displace millions, she reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to reaching children with nutrition, clean water, vaccines, and protection from violence, but emphasized that lasting change requires a united global response.
This meeting marked Russell’s second visit to the Vatican, following last year’s gathering with Pope Francis to champion children’s dignity and rights.
Every child has the right to life, survival, development, and protection from all forms of neglect and violence, as enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
