Staying and delivering for children

Children are caught up in crises not of their own making. Displaced from their homes at record levels. Cut off from care as global health threats re-emerge. Deprived of schooling and made vulnerable to organized violence. They cannot be left to endure on their own.

With partners big and small, UNICEF operates in more than 190 countries and territories to bring life-saving relief to children in need.

But we’ve never done it alone. 

If others are forced to step back, who's going to stay for children?

Together, we've made a world of difference

Impartial and non-political, UNICEF is never neutral when it comes to serving every child. Here's how we've already turned commitment into impact thanks to your steadfast support:

1. More children are surviving today than ever before

Nearly 8 million more children in the world this year will reach their fifth birthday, compared to 1990 – a 60% decline in child mortality.

UNICEF and partners have contributed to this remarkable achievement by improving maternal and child healthcare services and strengthening disease prevention in countries across the world. Today, a quarter of all births happen in UNICEF-supported health centres.

2. Vaccines have saved 154 million lives in the last 50 years

As the world’s largest vaccine supplier, UNICEF procures and distributes enough vaccines to immunize 45% of the world's children.

In 2023, UNICEF supplied 2.8 billion vaccine doses to 105 countries, safely reducing the scourge of preventable diseases that keep children from walking, playing and learning. Through widespread immunizations, polio is on the brink of eradication.

3. Safe water is available to over 2.1 billion more people compared to 20 years ago

With support from UNICEF and partners, more than a quarter of the world's population gained access to safe and clean drinking water in the past two decades.

UNICEF leads coordinated emergency response efforts that keep children connected to safe water in roughly 85% of countries affected by crisis.

4. The number of children with stunted growth and development due to malnutrition has declined by 40% since 2000

For more than two decades, UNICEF has been the world’s largest supporter of programmes to protect and promote breastfeeding, complementary foods and nutrient supplements, along with services for the early detection and treatment of severe malnutrition.

We secure up to 80% of global demand for ready-to-use therapeutic food.

In 2023 alone, UNICEF and partners reached over 300 million children with nutrition services, including 9.3 million who required life-saving feeding and care.

5. Fewer kids are out of school 

Roughly half of the world's primary-school-aged children were out of school in the early 1950s. Today, that's dropped to 10%. And every year, 23 million more girls are completing secondary school compared to a decade ago.

UNICEF works with governments in more than 100 countries to keep children learning. Since 2021, we've supported over 25 million out-of-school children with access to education in a classroom, 30 million children with access to education through digital platforms, and nearly 60 million children with individual learning materials.