But she saw and remained haunted by the picture of Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian toddler whose body washed up on a Turkish beach in an image that became emblematic of the risky exodus of refugees seeking safety in Europe.
"We lost humanity on that day when... nowhere a child is welcomed," she told reporters at the United Nations.
"It is important that people open their hearts and people open their lands to people who are now needing more support and who need the right to live," she said.
Malala appealed to world leaders to imagine their own children suffering the abuses meted out by the Islamic State movement, which has sexually enslaved girls from minority groups.
"The first thing is that the world leaders need to take all these issues more seriously," said Malala, who brought with her four girls including a Syrian refugee.
"They should think about their own children."
The youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner has not returned to Pakistan for three years amid concerns for her safety, instead studying in Birmingham, England.
She came to New York for the adoption of a new UN development agenda, which aims to end extreme poverty in 15 years.
She said she took two days off.
"I never miss a schoolday unless it`s for a good cause and it really brings change," she said.
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