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“I have always had to behave ‘like a girl’ and I am not used to being asked for my opinion, but you ask me to say what I think during these workshops.” A 13-year-old girl from Syria describes the impact of empowerment workshops in Serbia Boy is drawing a picture. UNICEF-supported activities for children on the island of Lesvos, Greece The ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative has supported work across five European countries to improve health literacy among refugee and migrant children over the past year. As a result, they and their families have learned about key health issues, about the health services available to them, and how to demand health services as their right. Through its support for health literacy – the ability to find, understand and use information to take care of your own health – the initiative has helped to dismantle some key barriers to health services for refugee and migrant children and their families in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy and Serbia. This 27-month, €4.3 million co-funded initiative, which was launched in January 2020 by the European Union Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety, works alongside young refugees and migrants to ensure that they have accurate health information in their own languages – information that reaches them via the channels they use and the people they trust. Importantly, the initiative makes them more aware of their right to health care in these European countries – welcome news for those who have fled from countries where good quality health care is either unaffordable or unavailable. With support from the initiative, UNICEF and its partners first worked with young refugees and migrants to identify gaps in the information available to them and in their own knowledge. This informed the health literacy packages that have been rolled out in all five countries over the past year, spanning a wide range of topics from immunization and nutrition to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and gender-based violence (GBV). The packages themselves have been backed by detailed plans to ensure that their messages reach their audiences and gain real traction. Great care has been taken to ensure that information materials are culturally appropriate, gender sensitive and child-friendly, and that they are suitable for the ages and backgrounds of their audiences. Cultural mediators and interpreters have helped to overcome language and cultural barriers, while materials have been made available in, for example, Arabic, Farsi and Pashto. Activities have often been led by trusted professionals, such as nurses, physicians and psychologists who are already familiar with the needs of refugee and migrant children and their families. Materials have been shared through channels and locations that are well-used by refugees and migrants, including asylum offices, temporary reception centres, health centres, Mother and Baby Corners (MBCs), workshops and discussion sessions, during outreach activities and via social media. As a result, health literacy is now embedded into existing activities with refugee and migrant children and parents across all five countries, and is based firmly on their views and needs. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, information workshops have been tailored to the needs of different groups of children, including those who are unaccompanied and separated. Topics over the past year have included personal and oral hygiene, drug and alcohol use and its impact on health, the importance of immunization, early childhood development, medical referrals and the proper use of medicines and the risks of self-medication, as well as COVID-19 risks and prevention and services for those with symptoms. Health literacy on immunization, for example, has been strengthened through close cooperation with the Institutes for Public Health and local primary health centres, helping to ensure that refugees and migrants are aware of the national immunization calendar and protocols. In all, 1,428 refugee and migrant children and their parents have received vital information on immunization, 840 have received information on mental health and psycho-social services, and 580 (nearly double the target) have received information on maternal and child health care and nutrition. In Bulgaria, the initiative has supported group sessions that have exceeded their targets, with 99 sessions held for refugee children and mothers – more than three times the 28 sessions envisaged. There were more than twice as many information sessions on gender-based violence as originally planned: 107 rather than 48. In all, 600 refugee and migrant children and their parents have received information on immunization, 600 on mental health and psycho-social services, and 600 on maternal and child health, with every target for these areas met or surpassed in terms of the numbers of children reached. “Guiding people from refugee and migrant backgrounds on health-related procedures in their host country is a way to empower them to find solutions to health issues.” Yura, a social worker with the Council of Refugee Women in Bulgaria (CRWB) In Greece, support from the initiative has enabled UNICEF and its partners to equip refugee and migrant children with information on health risks, entitlements and services through its non-formal education programme in urban areas and on the islands. In the first full year of the initiative, 1,796 children and 464 parents have received crucial information to help them safeguard their own health. In addition, information on mental health risks, entitlements and services has been shared with 587 refugee and migrant children on Lesvos through existing psychosocial support activities at the Child and Family Support Hub (CFSH), including counselling, information sessions, parent sessions and more. Refugee and migrant women and children using the UNICEF-supported Safe Space in Athens and the CFSH on Lesvos have had access to information on GBV, with 1,313 women and 687 children reached to date. Another 1,183 mothers and 596 children have received information on maternal and child health via the CFSH on Lesvos and at child-friendly spaces within the Asylum Service Offices in Athens and Thessaloniki. In Italy, there has been an emphasis on peer-to-peer health literacy over the past year. Young refugees and migrants have shared critical health messages through, for example, the U-Report on the Move platform – a user-friendly, cost-effective and anonymous digital platform with more than 6,000 subscribers, where they speak out on the issues that matter to them. Brochures on immunization, mental health and GBV have been translated into seven languages, and a live chat on reproductive health and the concept of ‘consent’ has been conducted in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). ‘Q&A’ publications have provided clear answers to burning questions on immunization, mental health and GBV, with short videos explaining, for example, what to do if someone you know has been subjected to violence, and how to protect yourself from online abuse. In the first full year of the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative, more than 10,887 refugees and migrants in Italy have benefited from critical information on health-related risks and services. The health literacy package supported by the initiative is being shared beyond refugee and migrant communities to reach local communities and key stakeholders, with human interest stories aiming to increase public awareness of the lives of refugees and migrants. The initiative’s targets for health literacy in Serbia have also been exceeded, with 1,094 refugee and migrant children and parents receiving information on mental health (original target: 500) and 722 receiving information on GBV (original target: 600). Looking beyond the sheer numbers of beneficiaries, those taking part in health literacy workshops, in particular, have voiced their appreciation. One woman from Syria who took part in a GBV workshop commented: “I think that women, especially in our culture, do not recognize violence because they think it’s normal for men to be louder, to yell, that they have the right to have all their whims fulfilled even if their wife wants or needs something different. It is a form of inequality we are used to. That is why it is important to talk about it, as you do, to have more workshops on these topics with women from our culture, so that we realize we should not put up with anything that is against our will or that harms us and our health.” Another woman from Syria, who participated in a workshop on mental health and psychosocial support, said: “If it weren't for these workshops you’re organizing, our stay in the camp would be so gloomy. I notice that women are in a much better mood and smiling during the workshops, more than in our spare time. You have a positive impact on us.” Materials have been available in six languages and have covered access to health services, mental health issues, GBV, breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding, breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic, recommendations for parents of children aged 1-6 months, recommendations for children aged 7-24 months, and substance abuse. To reach key stakeholders beyond refugee and migrant communities, a project information sheet and human-interest stories have been widely shared via social media and other well-used channels. Work is now underway in Serbia, with support from the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative, to develop a new information package and tools to prevent and respond to sexual violence against boys. This will be rolled out in 2021 in close partnership with key actors in child protection, including those who work directly with boys from refugee and migrant communities. The first full year of support from the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative shows what can be achieved when refugee and migrant children, women and parents are all treated as champions for their own health, rather than the passive recipients of health care. Once equipped with the right information, including the knowledge of their fundamental right to health services, they are more likely to demand the health care to which they are entitled. Logo - Strengthening Refugee and Migrant Children’s Health Status in Southern and South Eastern Europe This story is part of the Project ‘Strengthening Refugee and Migrant Children’s Health Status in Southern and South Eastern Europe’, co-funded by the Health Programme of the European Union (the ‘RM Child-Health’ initiative). It represents the views of the author only and is her sole responsibility; it cannot be considered to reflect the views of the European Commission and/or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency or any other body of the European Union. The European Commission and the Agency do not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

U NIC EF/U N01 4802 0/KN OWLE S-CO URSI N UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children2018Overview HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF JANUARY 20182 This past year has been devastating for children. Today, one in every four children in the world is living in a country affected by conflict or disaster. Nearly 50 million children have been uprooted from their homes due to violence, poverty or natural disasters. These facts expose an alarming reality: that the impact of humanitarian crisis on children has reached catastrophic proportions. In so many places, violent conflict is driving humanitarian need to critical levels. In 2017, conflicts that have endured for years such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and Yemen, among other countriescontinued to deepen in complexity and impact. For the children affected by these conflicts, daily life is a nightmare. This past year, these children not only faced the constant threat of violence; many were also uprooted from their homes, went hungry, and fell ill with life-threatening diseases as health, water and sanitation services and infrastructure collapsed around them. In Bangladesh, for example, renewed violence in Myanmar led to a massive influx of Rohingya, many of whom were children, in August 2017. The sheer magnitude of the refugee population left temporary settlements overstretched, with poor hygiene and sanitation conditions giving rise to outbreaks of water-borne diseases. The year also saw an unprecedented number of cholera outbreaks, particularly in conflict-affected countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, north-east Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. In many cases, violent clashes and the collapse of public services led to the breakdown of water and sanitation systems, which fuelled the spread of cholera through affected communities and generated an emergency within an emergency. What drives our work at UNICEF is the knowledge that behind every one of these emergencies behind every inconceivable statistic and behind every harrowing story of violence, displacement and hunger is a child. A child who should be in school but isnt because their school has been damaged or destroyed. A child who is alone and afraid because they have become separated from their loved ones. A child who is dying of choleraa completely preventable disease. And whether that child is a migrant, a refugee or internally displaceda child is a childand every child should be protected; should be able to stay with their family; and should have the chance to go to school. No matter what. FOREWORDHumanitarian Action for Children 2018 U NIC EF/U N06 2216 /SOK HIN Iraq, 2017Students at Al-Ansar school in Baghdad with educational supplies provided as part of UNICEF's Back to School campaign. Students also received math, science and recreation kits. HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF 3 UN ICEF ETH IOPI A/20 17/M ULUG ETA AYEN E Ethiopia 2017In August, Temesgen, 5 months, smiles during a breastfeeding celebration event at Debri health centre in Tigray Region. At UNICEF, we have made it a fundamental aspect of our work to confront the complex and unique needs of each and every child whose life has been upended by a humanitarian crisis. Humanitarian Action for Children 2018 underscores this effort. It describes the results we achieved with partners on the ground in 2017; the strategies that we will use to tackle the challenges of 2018; and the donor support so essential to our ability to respond. Youll read about UNICEFs responses in countries such as Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, where the combined impacts of conflict, displacement, drought, water scarcity and fragile infrastructure raised the risk of famine in 2017 and put nearly 1.4 million children at imminent risk of starvation. In each of these countries, UNICEF and partners were on the ground delivering aid even before the full-scale threat of famine developed. For example, in Somalia, donors stepped forward early, enabling a massive scale up in services and sustained assistance. As of November 2017, UNICEF and partners were able to treat over 220,000 severely malnourished children and reach nearly 1.8 million people affected by drought with temporary access to safe water and control further outbreaks of cholera and other water- borne diseases. And even where the needs are most urgent, UNICEF looks to implement humanitarian interventions that advance development and have long-term impacts. In West Mosul, Iraq, UNICEF invested in repairing and rebuilding damaged water infrastructure and in so doing was able to both meet immediate water needs and help establish a more sustainable system that will serve local communities for years to come. The results highlighted above and the achievements described throughout this appeal were made possible by the incredible support of our donors. As we continue to respond to more complex humanitarian situations, many of which are characterized by challenging operating environments and diminished humanitarian access, your support is what makes the difference, and your flexible resources are what allow us to respond quickly in a crisis and allocate resources to where they are needed most. It is thanks to your generosity that we are able to help every child affected by crisis return to school, reunite with their families, avoid preventable diseases and get the nutrients and clean water they need to survive childhood and grow into healthy adults. We know that by continuing to work together, we can give every child we reach a better chance not just at surviving today, but at prospering well into the future. Omar Abdi UNICEF Deputy Executive Director HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF JANUARY 20184 East Asia and the Pacific Region US$ Regional Office 6,312,000 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea 16,500,000 Myanmar 31,780,000 Total 54,592,000 Eastern and Southern Africa Region US$ Regional Office 20,844,000 Angola 14,660,000 Burundi 26,000,000 Eritrea 14,000,000 Ethiopia 111,810,939 Kenya 34,235,000 Madagascar 23,750,000 Somalia 154,932,574 South Sudan 183,309,871 Uganda 66,119,117 Total 649,661,501 Europe and Central Asia Region US$ Regional Office 3,110,400 Refugee and migrant crisis in Europe 33,144,000 Ukraine 23,599,000 Total 59,853,400 Latin America and the Caribbean Region US$ Regional Office 10,565,000 Haiti 30,000,000 Total 40,565,000 Middle East and North Africa Region US$ Regional Office 2,000,000 Djibouti 1,461,300 Iraq 101,151,160 Libya 20,161,000 State of Palestine 25,805,400 Sudan 96,544,326 Syrian Arab Republic 335,341,920 Syrian refugees and other affected populations in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey 951,797,002 Yemen 337,422,650 Total 1,871,684,758 Electronic users can click on each name to go to that office's online content. This map is stylized and not to scale. It does not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or area or the delimitation of any frontiers. The dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the Parties. The final boundary between the Sudan and South Sudan has not yet been determined. FUNDING REQUIRED IN 2018Humanitarian Action for Children 2018 South Asia Region US$ Regional Office 25,868,190 Afghanistan 32,800,000 Bangladesh 144,600,000 Total 203,268,190 West and Central Africa Region US$ Regional Office 13,250,000 Burkina Faso 31,057,000 Cameroon 25,461,000 Central African Republic 56,500,000 Chad 54,191,505 Democratic Republic of the Congo 268,121,004 Mali 36,775,000 Mauritania 19,131,000 Niger 42,721,051 Nigeria 149,000,000 Republic of Congo 7,744,000 Total 703,951,560 Global support 54,815,841 Grand total 3,638,392,250 HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF 5 PLANNED RESULTS IN 2018Humanitarian Action for Children 2018 The information below summarizes the global requirements for UNICEF humanitarian programmes, the total number of people and children to be reached, and the planned results in Humanitarian Action for Children 2018. UNICEF and partners will work toward the following results in 2018: Percentage* of total requirements per sector: US$3.6 billion 82 million people 48 million children 51 countries 21% 18% 11% 2% 1% 12% 4% 2% 2% <1%25% GRAND TOTAL: WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE (WASH) NUTRITION CHILD PROTECTION SOCIAL PROTECTION/ CASH TRANSFERS RAPID RESPONSE MECHANISMS HEALTH OTHER** REGIONAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE NON-FOOD ITEMS CLUSTER COORDINATION*** EDUCATION TO ASSIST: NUTRITION HEALTH EDUCATION CHILD PROTECTION HIV AND AIDS CASH-BASED TRANSFERS WASH 4.2 million children to be treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) 10 million children to be immunized against measles 8.9 million children to have access to formal and non-formal basic education 3.9 million children to have access to psychosocial support 231,400 people to have access to information, testing and treatment 1.8 million people to be reached with cash assistance 35.7 million people to have access to safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene INCLUDING: IN: * Percentages do not total 100 because of rounding. The HIV and AIDS funding requirement is 0.1 per cent of the total requirement and because of rounding does not feature in this overview. ** Includes costs from the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe; early recovery and livelihoods in the Syrian Arab Republic; youth/adolescents and Palestinians in the response to Syrian refuges; and Communication for Development activities for key life-saving behaviours and practices in Bangladesh, Burundi, Madagascar and Yemen. *** Cluster coordination costs are above 0.5 per cent and cover only those where separated in budgets. In many appeals, coordination costs are included in sectoral budgets. HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF JANUARY 20186 Refugee and migrant crisis in Europe In 2017, 164,000 refugees and migrants, including 29,000 children, entered Europe, joining the 1.4 million people who arrived in 2015-2016 and the 3.6 million people already hosted in Turkey. Children on the move face a range of protection risks, including lack of access to services, detention and family separation. CHILDREN IN CRISISThe map below highlights the global humanitarian situation at the end of 2017 and some of the major crises affecting children and their families. This map is stylized and not to scale. It does not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or area or the delimitation of any frontiers. The dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the Parties. The final boundary between the Sudan and South Sudan has not yet been determined. Arrows represent the movement of people to neighbouring countries due to conflict. Caribbean hurricanes response Hurricane Irma, the most powerful hurricane ever recorded over the Atlantic, followed by Hurricane Maria, left more than 1.4 million peopleover a quarter of them childrenin need of humanitarian assistance in Cuba, Haiti and the Eastern Caribbean islands. Haiti is also facing an ongoing cholera outbreak, with more than 11,600 cases and 130 deaths reported in 2017. Chronic under-funded emergencies Chronic, under-funded emergencies continue to take a significant toll on children. In the Central African Republic, 1.3 million children are affected by the complex humanitarian and protection crisis, which has been ongoing since 2012. Six years into the armed conflict in Mali, 165,000 children are at risk of SAM. Nigeria and the Lake Chad basin More than 17 million people in Cameroon, Chad, the Niger and Nigeria are affected by the ongoing conflict across the Lake Chad basin region. In north-east Nigeria, where violence and conflict-related displacement have increased dramatically, an estimated 400,000 children are suffering from SAM. HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF 7 Syrian Arab Republic and the sub-region Seven years into the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, more than 6 million people are internally displaced and more than 5 million Syrians, including 2.5 million children, are living as refugees in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Iraq In Iraq, nearly 9 million people, including more than 4 million children, require humanitarian assistance, and 5 million people are in critical need of access to safe water. Of the 3 million people who remain internally displaced, nearly half are children. Yemen In one of the worlds most complex humanitarian crises, almost the entire population of Yemen22 million peopleincluding more than 11 million children, require humanitarian assistance. Recent outbreaks of acute watery diarrhoea and cholera have been exacerbated by the collapse of public systems, and some 16 million people lack access to safe water. South Sudan Four years into the conflict in South Sudan, more than 4 million children are affected and facing famine, disease, forced recruitment and lack of access to schooling. These vulnerabilities are compounded by the worsening economic conditions and limited access to food and fuel. Rohingya crisis In the second half of 2017, escalating violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, led more than 655,000 Rohingya refugees to cross the border into Bangladesh. An estimated 58 per cent of the new arrivals are children. The new influx brings the total number of Rohingya and affected local communities in Bangladesh in need of humanitarian assistance to 1.2 million. Horn of Africa The more than 17 million people affected by severe drought in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are at heightened risk of disease outbreaks, and some 700,000 children across the three countries are severely malnourished. Democratic Republic of the Congo A surge in violent conflict and inter-communal tensions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has forced more than 1.7 million people to flee their homes, including 1.4 million people in the Kasai region alone. Across the country, over 2 million children are suffering from SAM, which represents 12 per cent of the global caseload. HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF JANUARY 20188 UN ICEF /UN 0573 47/A LMAN G Yemen, 2017In February, a child who is being treated for SAM, has her mid-upper arm circumference measured by a medical practitioner in Bani Al Harith, Sana'a. HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF 9 RESULTS ACHIEVED IN 2017Humanitarian Action for Children 2018 The chart below captures some of the key results achieved against targets for children by UNICEF and partners through the first 10 months of 2017. In some contexts, achievements were constrained by limited resources, including across sectors; inadequate humanitarian access; insecurity; and challenging operating environments. See country funding levels on page 11. Further reporting on 2017, including country-specific indicators, is available on the respective country web pages on . NUTRITION HEALTH WASHCHILD PROTECTION EDUCATION 2.5 MILLION children treated for severe acute malnutrition 29.9 MILLION people provided access to safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene 2.8 MILLION children accessed psychosocial support 5.5 MILLION children accessed formal or non-formal basic education 13.6 MILLION children vaccinated against measles 70% 85% 81% 79% 58% PHOTO CREDITS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: UNICEF/UN069819/SOULEIMAN, UNICEF/UN0120054/KEALEY, UNICEF/UN0136476/ANMAR, UNICEF/UN0143089/LEMOYNE, UNICEF/UN061099/KNOWLES-COURSIN, HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF JANUARY 201810 HUMANITARIAN FUNDING IN 2017 Figure 1. Top 10 sources of humanitarian funds, 2017 (US$ millions)* Figure 2. Top 10 donors thematic humanitarian funds, 2017 (US$ millions) US$ millions Government of the United States Government of the United Kingdom Government of Germany European Commission Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Government of Japan Government of Norway Country-based Pooled Funds Government of Sweden UNICEF USA 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 US$34.4 US$38.5 US$46.7 US$48.5 US$72.1 US$108.6 US$157.1 US$181.7 US$199.5 US$553.1 *Funding of the top 10 sources represents US$1.44 billion - 84 per cent of the total funding committed in 2017. UNICEF's top donor, the Government of the United States committed over US$145 million more in 2017 compared with the previous year. In addition, of the top 10 donors, the following increased their commit-ments this year: the European Commission, pooled funds managed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (CERF and Country-based Pooled Funds combined), the Government of Norway and the Government of Sweden. Presented figures are provisional as of 10 December 2017 and are subject to change. US$ millions Note: Total thematic funding amounted to US$144.1 million, which represented 9 per cent of the total US$1.72 billion 2017 funding commit-ments, while global thematic funding reached US$28.2 million, or 2 per cent. Twelve donors committed global thematic funding in 2017. The top five were: the Government of the Netherlands, the Swedish Committee for UNICEF, the Government of the Republic of Korea, UNICEF USA and the Government of Denmark. Presented figures are provisional as of 10 December 2017 and subject to change. German Committee for UNICEF UNICEF USA Government of the Netherlands United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF Government of Denmark Japan Committee for UNICEF Spanish Committee for UNICEF Swedish Committee for UNICEF French Committee for UNICEF Finnish Committee for UNICEF 0 5 10 15 20 25 US$3.8 US$4.4 US$6.8 US$6.9 US$7.8 US$8.9 US$13.2 US$18.5 US$20.3 US$26.3 An extraordinary combination of crises continued to test the ability of UNICEF and its partners to respond to growing needs. While the funding received in 2017 was consistent with the previous year, given the extraordinary number of affected children, resources fell short.1 In January, UNICEF appealed for US$3.36 billion to help 81 million people, including 48 million children, in 48 countries. By the end of 2017, the appeal rose to US$3.79 billion to assist 136 million people, including 60 million children. The increases were mainly due to new refugee and internal displacement crises in Bangladesh and the Kasai Region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; famines/risk of famine in north-east Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan; famine and cholera outbreaks in Yemen; devastating hurricanes in the Caribbean; and floods in Nepal. Nearly two thirds of the total appeal funded seven Level 3 emergency responses.2 As of 10 December 2017, the Humanitarian Action for Children appeal was 65 per cent funded. The 2017 results were achieved thanks to the generous contributions of donors. Funding for the 2017 appeal reached US$2.48 billion, of 1 Figures presented in this narrative are provisional as of 10 December 2017, and are subject to change.2 Level 3 emergencies in 2017: the Rohingya refugee response in Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, north-east Nigeria, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and neighboring countries and Yemen. which US$1.72 billion3 represented commitments made in 2017 and US$755 million from previous years. Thematic humanitarian funding reached US$144.1 million, or 9 per cent of overall commitments (nearly US$25 million more than in 2016), while global thematic funding one of UNICEFs most flexible resources stood at 2 per cent, a 0.5 per cent increase from 2016. Despite this generosity, funding was insufficient to meet the needs. More than half of total available funds went to the responses in South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries and Yemen, while only 2 per cent covered nine emergencies: Angola, Burundian refugees, the Caribbean hurricanes, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Djibouti, Eritrea, Libya, Mali and Nepal. Needs often went unmet for large- scale, protracted crises such as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 32 per cent of funding secured. For 2018, UNICEF will continue to appeal for more flexible, timely and longer-term funding to save and protect the lives of the most vulnerable children and their families. 3 The public sector provided most of UNICEFs humanitarian resources, amounting to US$1.57 billion, with US$155.8 million coming from the private sector. 1 HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF 11 US$553.1 US$26.3 * Presented figures are provisional as of 10 December 2017 and are subject to change. ** In 2017, US$10.9 million was allocated from the Humanitarian Action for Children - global support to 13 country offices and all regional offices to support their time-critical humanitarian operations. These allocations are also included in the funding levels of the country- and region-specific Humanitarian Action for Children appeals. Figure 3: Humanitarian Action for Children: Funding commitments from donors and shortfalls in 2017 (US$ millions)* Figure 4: Funding overview for top 10 Humanitarian Action for Children appeals, by total requirements Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office $11.2M 156% Afghanistan $26.8M 86% West and Central Africa Regional Office $31.2M 79% Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office $15.4M 76% East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office $4.4M 72% Somalia $125.2M 71% Global support** $31.6M 64% Iraq $103.0M 64% Bangladesh Rohingya response $48.6M 64% South Sudan $108.9M 60% Kenya $24.2M 57% Democratic People's Republic of Korea $7.9M 48% Niger $17.8M 48% State of Palestine $11.5M 47% Nigeria $67.4M 46% Syrian refugees (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey) $477.0M 45% Yemen $151.6M 45% Middle East and North Africa Regional Office $1.6M 45% Caribbean hurricanes $9.3M 45% Syrian Arab Republic $153.3M 43% Refugee and migrant crisis in Europe $18.5M 43% Ethiopia $56.1M 41% Chad $23.5M 41% Sudan $37.4M 39% Ukraine $11.1M 36% Libya $5.0M 34% Central African Republic $17.3M 32% Cameroon $7.6M 32% Haiti $12.7M 30% Burundian refugees $2.7M 29% Uganda $13.5M 26% Burundi $4.5M 24% Djibouti $0.4M 24% Zika global response $7.3M 23% Myanmar $5.8M 23% Democratic Republic of the Congo $37.8M 23% Regional Office for South Asia $9.2M 21% Angola $3.9M 19% Mali $6.5M 19% Southern Africa (El Nio) $15.8M 18% Eritrea $1.9M 16% Nepal $1.8M 13% Europe and Central Asia Regional Office $0.5M 10% Office 0 COMMITMENTSFUNDS COMMITTED FUNDING GAP 100 Ethiopia Sudan 41% 39%$136M $97M 25% 10% 34% 51% Syrian refugees (Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey) Syrian Arab Republic 45% 43%$1B $355M 26% 18% 28%39% Yemen South Sudan 45% 60% $339M $181M 12% 34% 6% 44% Somalia Democratic Republic of the Congo 69% 23% $177M $165M10% 10% 21% 67% Iraq Nigeria 64% 46%$161M $147M26% 21% 10% 33% 2017 funds committed by donors Available funds from previous years Funding gap HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF JANUARY 201812 GLOBAL SUPPORT FOR UNICEFS HUMANITARIAN ACTIONHumanitarian action is fundamental to realizing the rights of every child and therefore central to UNICEFs mandate. UNICEF is working to deliver a faster, more effective and principled humanitarian response, in line with its Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action and the UNICEF Strategic Plan 20182021. Country-level humanitarian action is supported by UNICEFs seven regional offices and 10 headquarters divisions. This involves facilitating inter-agency coordination and partnerships; contributing to strategic response plans; leading/co-leading global clusters for five sectors; facilitating policy guidance and strategic dialogue; mobilizing human and financial resources; and monitoring and reporting on humanitarian results. UNICEFs global support is coordinated by the Office of Emergency Programmes, including a security team and the 24-hour, 7-day Operations Centre. In 2018, the cost of this support is estimated at US$54.8 million,4 1.5 per cent of UNICEFs overall appeal. Global support to the field in 2017Seven major emergencies required organization-wide mobilization in 2017: the protracted conflicts in Iraq, north-east Nigeria, South Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic and neighbouring countries and Yemen; and the emerging crises in Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Investments in UNICEFs global support translated into the following achievements in 2017: Supplies procured for countries with Level 2 and Level 3 emergencies totalled US$909.3 million in 2017.5 UNICEFs Emergency Response Team comprising 14 staff with specialized skills in emergency coordination, programming and operations undertook 58 missions to 17 countries, four regional offices and four headquarters locations, totalling 2,001 days in 2017. Of these missions, 14 (totalling 86 days) were for the provision and/or receipt of capacity building/training. Standby partners continue to represent a significant source of capacity. UNICEF deployed 166 personnel to country offices in 2017 through agreements with 30 standby partner organizations. Fifty-five per cent of these deployments supported Level 2 and Level 3 emergencies.6 In 2017, UNICEFs global cluster rapid response teams supported 24 countries, including seven Level 3 emergencies, through 79 missions totalling more than 3,122 days.7 4 This does not include additional requirements laid out in the regional chapters of Humanitarian Action for Children 2018.5 This is an estimate based on preliminary figures as of November 2017.6 As of 31 December 2017; excludes deployments to headquarters locations.7 Includes missions undertaken by UNICEFs Global Cluster Coordination Unit. The Emergency Programme Fund a revolving fund disbursed to field offices within 48 hours of a sudden humanitarian crisis, before donor resources are available and to underfunded emergencies distributed US$73.7 million to 20 country offices and three regional offices in 2017. As part of the Health Emergencies Preparedness Initiative, UNICEF has developed cross-sectoral guidance and resources for 31 priority diseases, which were selected for their potential for becoming epidemics/pandemics and impacting children. These resources supported UNICEFs responses to the 2017 outbreaks of Ebola, Marburg and the plague in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Madagascar, respectively. UNICEFs Emergency Preparedness Platform a system for enhancing the organizations early warning and preparedness was rolled out to 40 country offices in 2017. The platform will aid country offices in analysing risks, undertaking self- assessments, and identifying high-return actions that will enhance preparedness at the country level. Under the auspices of the Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities Network, UNICEF and partners8 established the Communication and Community Engagement Initiative. The Initiative aims to organize a collective service for a more systematic and coordinated approach to community engagement with affected people. Looking aheadUNICEF will focus on improving access for principled humanitarian response to the most vulnerable children in complex environments. UNICEFs standard procedures for Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 emergencies will be revised, with emphasis on enhancing operational partnerships with first-line responders for more effective response, community engagement and accountability to affected populations. The mainstreaming of risk analysis and emergency preparedness will continue throughout the organization, in line with inter-agency efforts and the launch of the new Emergency Preparedness Platform in 2018. In addition to strengthening humanitarian advocacy, a coordinated approach to emergency cash transfers will be further elaborated through tools, guidelines and strategic partnerships. Humanitarian learning packages will be rolled out to enhance staff capacity for principled humanitarian action in complex, high-threat environments, for preparedness and for emergency cash transfers. 8 The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF 13 Nigeria, 2017Workers carry boxes of relief supplies at the UNICEF storage facility in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria, on 29 July 2017. Dominica, 2017On 28 September 2017, Djani Zadi, UNICEF Supply Chain Specialist, receives a first shipment of temporary school tents for children affected by Hurricane Maria at the port of Roseau, capital of Dominica. South Sudan, 2017Abdallah Abdelrassoul, UNICEF WASH specialist, unloads WASH supplies from a resupply aircraft during a Rapid Response Mission to the village of Aburoc, South Sudan, on 11 May 2017. Bangladesh, 2017Students look at an inflatable globe, which was among the School-in-a-Box supplies provided to a new transitional learning centre near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, in October 2017. U NIC EF/U N01 2707 3/M OREN O GO NZA LEZ U NIC EF/U N01 1908 4/SO KHIN U NIC EF/U N06 6011 /HAT CHER -MOO RE U NIC EF/U N01 4102 7/LE MOY NE Global cluster coordination Field support Information management Partnerships Inter-agency Transformative Agenda Non-governmental organizations, civil society, academia Integrated presences Human resources Headquarters Emergency Unit Coordinating three models of deployment (internal, external and standby Programmatic support Nutrition, health, WASH, child protection, education, HIV and AIDS Communication for Development, early childhood development, disabilities Resilience National capacity development Disaster risk reduction/ preparedness Peacebuilding REGIONAL SUPPORT OPERATIONAL SUPPORT COUNTRY LEVEL HUMANITARIAN PROGRAMME SUPPORT Afghanistan Angola Bangladesh Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Djibouti Eritrea Ethiopia Haiti Iraq Kenya Libya Communication Office of the Security Coordinator and Operations Centre (OPSCEN) Total cost of global support in 2018: US$54.8 million Total cost covered by core resources: US$25.4 million Europe and Central Asia East Asia and the Pacific Eastern and Southern Africa Latin America and the Caribbean HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF JANUARY 201814 GLOBAL SUPPORTfor UNICEFs humanitarian action in 2018 Supply and logistics Copenhagen and regional hubs Procurement Warehousing Logistical support Mobilize global support Systems and procedures Technical support Results-based management Needs assessment Performance monitoring Evaluation Policy and guidance Core Commitments for Children Equity (including gender) Protection of civilians (including children and armed conflict) Knowledge management Innovation High-threat environments Humanitarian advocacy Cash-based transfers US$3.6 BILLION US$4.9 MILLION US$12.8 MILLION US$37 MILLION Madagascar Mali Mauritania Myanmar Niger Nigeria Refugee and migrant crisis in Europe Republic of Congo Somalia South Sudan State of Palestine Sudan Syrian refugees and other affected populations in Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey Syrian Arab Republic Uganda Ukraine Yemen Information and communications technology Resource mobilization Finance and administration Total cost covered by other resources: US$18.7 million Funding gap: US$10.7 million Middle East and North Africa South Asia West and Central Africa HUMANITARIAN ACTION FOR CHILDREN 2018OVERVIEW UNICEF 15 Further information on UNICEFs humanitarian action can be obtained from: Manuel Fontaine Director Office of Emergency Programmes UNICEF New York Tel: +1 212 326 7163 Email: mfontaine@unicef.org Sikander Khan Director Geneva Office of Emergency Programmes UNICEF Geneva Tel: +41 22 909 5601 Email: sikhan@unicef.org Carla Haddad Mardini Director Public Partnerships Division (PPD) UNICEF New York Tel: +1 212 326 7160 Email: humanitarian.ppd@unicef.org United Nations Childrens Fund Office of Emergency Programmes 3 United Nations Plaza New York, NY 10017, USA www.unicef.org/appeals ISBN: 978-92-806-4944-4 United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF)January 2018 Cover photo: Bangladesh, 2017A boy drinks water from a hand pump at the makeshift Balukhali refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, in October 2017. U NIC EF/U N07 3246 /DUB OURT HOUM IEU Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017Children carry water collected from a source built by UNICEF in Tshibambula, a village in the Kasai Region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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