Children are concerned about the future. UNICEF knows they have the most at stake — and works to ensure their voices are heard.Children are concerned about the future. UNICEF knows they have the most at stake and works to ensure their voices are heard
Children need UNICEF now more than ever:
- More children in the world than ever before — an estimated 36 million — are displaced by armed conflict, natural disaster and other crises. Migrant and refugee children face many risks to their immediate and future health, safety and well-being.
- There are 240 million children living with disabilities in the world. Half are out of school, hidden by their families and abandoned by their governments. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced their access to services and exposed them to greater risks of abuse and discrimination.
- Violence prevention and response services were widely disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving some 1.8 billion children unprotected.
- School closures during the pandemic's peak affected up to 94 percent of students worldwide; at least one-third were left with no way to learn remotely.
- A devastating drought in the Horn of Africa and other humanitarian crises are heightening the risks of early marriage for girls as families turn to desperate measures to survive.
- Young people still have no meaningful say in national environmental and climate policies that will determine the future of the planet.
- The lingering socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 are threatening the rights of the world's 93 million children with disabilities.
- Conflict, violence and disaster have displaced an estimated 36 million children — more than ever before.
- The global pandemic weakened or eliminated violence prevention and response services for 1.8 billion children.
- School closures disrupted learning for roughly one-third of the world’s children.
- Humanitarian crises are leaving families increasingly desperate, heightening the risks of early marriage for girls.
- Children and young people still have no meaningful say in environmental and climate policies that will determine their future.
UNICEF-supported peace clubs in the Democratic Republic of Congo give kids raised in conflict the chance to forge bonds across interethnic divisions. One student leader says he joined because his friends were victims of violence: “We sensitize the community on peaceful cohabitation because our village had known war. Today, thanks to our work, we live and eat together."
UNICEF-supported peace clubs in the Democratic Republic of Congo give kids raised in conflict the chance to forge bonds across interethnic divisions. One student leader says he joined because his friends were victims of violence: “We sensitize the community on peaceful cohabitation because our village had known war. Today, thanks to our work, we live and eat together."
Why donate to UNICEF? It's a smart way to make your money go further for children:UNICEF makes your online donations go further for children
- UNICEF works to protect every child's right to be a child: Millions of adolescent girls benefit from UNICEF's efforts with partners focused on preventing child marriage, child labor and other rights violations.
- UNICEF helps children heal and become more resilient: Community-based, UNICEF-supported mental health and psychosocial programs reach tens of millions of children, adolescents, parents and caregivers in 117 countries every year.
- UNICEF advocates for an inclusive world: UNICEF’s programs reach millions of children with disabilities helping them fulfill their rights — including their right to an education and to fully participate in society.
- UNICEF ensures children and women don't suffer abuse in silence: UNICEF has helped dramatically increase the number of children and women who have access to safe channels for reporting sexual exploitation and abuse.
- UNICEF empowers children and young people: UNICEF offers innovative tools such as U-Report to help advance youth-led initiatives including a global movement to combat climate change.
- UNICEF inspires action: UNICEF provides platforms for amplifying young people’s voices, ideas and priorities.
- UNICEF provides many ways for young people in the U.S. to take action: Through UNICEF Clubs and UNICEF UNITE, adolescents are able to speak out on topics they care about — and get elected officials to listen.
- Millions of adolescent girls benefit from UNICEF-supported efforts focused on preventing child marriage.
- UNICEF community-based mental health and psychosocial programs reach tens of millions of children, adolescents, parents and caregivers globally.
- UNICEF programs help protect the rights of children with disabilities in 144 countries.
- Many more children and women across 126 countries have safe channels for reporting sexual exploitation and abuse thanks to UNICEF's work.
- UNICEF helps amplify young people's voices, ideas and priorities.
- UNICEF supports youth initiatives on issues that matter to them, like combatting climate change.
Meet the UNICEF workers helping kids around the world
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