UNICEF Facts For Kids

UNICEF means the United Nations Children's Fund. It helps children and families in very many places — about 192 countries and territories — so boys and girls can grow up healthy and learn. UNICEF works with clinics, schools, and communities to give vaccines, clean water, good food for mothers and babies, and help during emergencies like storms or floods.

In one year, for example, UNICEF helped at about 27 million births, vaccinated over 65 million children, and responded to many emergencies. It has won big awards, like the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965. During the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF also shared simple advice to help parents keep children safe and healthy.

UNICEF started on 11 December 1946 after World War II. At that time, many children and mothers needed food, medicine, and help. The United Nations created UNICEF first as an emergency fund to send supplies quickly where they were needed.

Doctors and leaders such as Ludwik Rajchman suggested the idea, and Maurice Pate became the first director. In the early 1950s, UNICEF changed from a short-term relief group into a permanent agency that helps with long-term needs like health and schools, not just short emergencies.

UNICEF carries out many kinds of help that make everyday life better for children. It supports vaccinations so children do not catch dangerous diseases, gives medicine and care for children living with illnesses like HIV, and runs nutrition programs to treat and prevent severe hunger in babies and young children.

UNICEF also works on clean water and toilets so families stay healthier, helps schools and learning programs, and sends teams to help children during emergencies. Much of this work happens in local communities, for example training health workers or giving supplies at nearby clinics.

UNICEF uses offices in different parts of the world so it can work where children live. These are called regional offices, and they help plan and support work across groups of countries. The seven regional offices are in Panama City, Geneva, Bangkok, Nairobi, Amman, Kathmandu, and Dakar (Senegal).

Regional offices work with country offices and local partners. This keeps help close to the people who need it, because local teams know their communities best. The regional teams also share lessons so successful ideas can spread to other places.

UNICEF gets money from many places, but it does not get a set amount from governments. Instead, it depends on voluntary donations. To help raise money and tell people about its work, there are 34 independent groups called national committees. These committees are based in countries and act like local fundraisers and teachers about children’s needs.

Together, national committees give about one third of UNICEF’s yearly income and work with roughly six million individual donors. They find money from the public and businesses, and then send funds to UNICEF programs that help children around the world.

UNICEF works with companies around the world through partnerships. Companies give money, make products, or share skills to help UNICEF run school and health projects. For example, some companies have helped pay for education programs and vaccines so more children can learn and stay healthy.

UNICEF also helps companies do business in ways that respect children’s rights. In 2012 UNICEF helped write a set of rules called the Children’s Rights and Business Principles. These rules and other checks help companies find and fix problems such as child labour in supply chains so children are safer at home and at work.

One big idea is to get children involved in helping other children. The Kid Power program began in 2015 and used Kid Power Bands—small activity trackers—to count steps. When kids complete missions, partner donations unlock packets of food to help malnourished children in other countries.

Other campaigns reach many people. Trick-or-Treat UNICEF started in 1950 when children collected coins in small orange boxes at Halloween to help others. UNICEF also uses cartoons, films like Girl Star, and musical groups such as Kids United to teach rights and raise money. These projects make helping feel fun and creative.

UNICEF takes positions on tricky or debated issues to protect children’s health and rights. It supports access to family planning and safe health services so mothers and babies can be healthy. Over time UNICEF has also supported ideas to prevent disease, such as the ABC approach to AIDS (Abstain, Be faithful, or use Condoms), which later grew into wider advice about testing and care.

Because people and groups have different beliefs, UNICEF’s positions sometimes cause public debate. For example, some organizations disagreed with UNICEF’s guidance about contraception in the 1990s. UNICEF explains its choices by saying they aim to protect children’s best interests. What rules would you make to keep children healthy and safe?

The Innocenti Research Centre opened in 1988 in Florence, Italy. It studies children’s lives and finds facts that help UNICEF decide what programs will work best. The Centre shares research with governments, schools, and other groups so projects are based on real evidence and learning from many countries.

UNICEF Ambassadors are well-known people from film, music, TV, and sports who use their public voices to help. They visit programs, tell stories about children’s needs, and help raise money. Ambassadors help people learn why certain projects matter and how they can help too.