Funding for Other Resources (emergency)
UNICEF relies on voluntary contributions to uphold our mission of reaching every child.
Before, during and after humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF is on the ground, bringing life-saving help and hope to children and their families. Other Resources (emergency) are funds earmarked for specific emergency response needs and projections.
With support from partners, we mobilize resources to protect children across the world, even in the hardest-to-reach places.
In 2021, 41 per cent of UNICEF's appeal for Humanitarian Action for Children was funded. Other Resources (emergency) contributions to UNICEF amounted to US$2.96 billion, with 82 per cent coming from public sector partners. The top resource partners were the United States (US$632 million), the European Union (US$329 million), Japan (US$260 million), the United States Fund for UNICEF (US$165 million) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs – OCHA (US$159 million).
Sources of humanitarian funding include public and private sector partners, and humanitarian pooled funds managed by OCHA, such as the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the Country-Based Pooled Funds (CBPF).
Flexible and multi-year funding is critical for UNICEF and partners to expand our support for crisis-affected communities and meet their emergency needs. UNICEF calls on partners to provide the maximum amount of flexibility, which is critical for all emergency appeals. Global Humanitarian Thematic Funding is the second most flexible form of funding to UNICEF, after Core Resources for Results. This funding allowed UNICEF to respond rapidly and strategically to humanitarian crises in 2021, making a difference for millions of children.
UNICEF’s humanitarian response
In 2021, UNICEF and partners responded to 483 humanitarian emergencies in 153 countries:
In 2021, UNICEF and partners responded to 483 new and ongoing humanitarian emergencies in 153 countries. UNICEF continued to focus on supporting affected populations, especially children in need of humanitarian assistance, and to tackle the impact of the COVID-19 and numerous consequences on children’s lives, while addressing vulnerabilities caused by climate change and natural disasters.
Some of the major humanitarian crises we responded to in 2021 include:
- The COVID-19 pandemic: Despite unprecedented supply and logistics challenges, UNICEF, as a COVAX Procurement lead, delivered 958 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines (including donated doses) to 144 countries, shipped 434 million items of personal protective equipment (PPE), delivered 7 million rapid diagnostic tests, 17.5 million dexamethasone tablets, 21,034 oxygen concentrators, 2 billion syringes and 18.4 million safety boxes for COVID-19 and routine and campaign immunization activities. In addition, UNICEF delivered 45.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 41 countries on behalf of the African Union’s African Vaccine Acquisition Trust initiative.
- Afghanistan: The operational environment for delivery of humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan shifted dramatically in 2021. UNICEF rapidly scaled up humanitarian assistance, reaching more than 266,151 people with humanitarian cash assistance, including 156,819 children, and providing access to formal or non-formal education to over 1 million children affected by COVID-19 school closures. In addition, with more than 66,000 cases of measles reported in children in 2021, UNICEF shipped 4.7 million doses of measles vaccines to address the outbreak.
- Yemen: Yemen remains the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. UNICEF reached 2.9 million children and women with essential health-care services. This included 525,629 women who received antenatal care; 182,244 women who delivered with the assistance of skilled birth attendants; 80,526 women who received postnatal care; 24,135 newborns who received quality care at the hospital level and 14,218 newborns who were admitted to neonatal intensive care units. More than 5.8 million children received explosive weapons-related and mine-risk education and survivor assistance. UNICEF also supported the oral cholera vaccination campaign in 10 high-risk districts covering 691,982 people, while reinforcing the cold chain capacity across the country and providing cholera supplies to diarrhoea treatment centres. Meanwhile, we focused on improving the nutrition status of women, reaching more than 2.2 million pregnant and breastfeeding women with iron–folate supplementation, to reduce the risk of anaemia and poor pregnancy outcomes. UNICEF also provided emergency latrines, along with fuel for generators to operate wastewater treatment plants, reaching 4.1 million people.
- Syria: In the Syrian Arab Republic, which is experiencing one of the worst humanitarian crises globally, UNICEF provided free primary health-care services to 1.9 million children and their families. UNICEF repaired and rehabilitated water infrastructure to provide safe water to 3.8 million people. Through integrated community engagement and social and behaviour change efforts, UNICEF tapped into the leadership of trusted community leaders to reach more than 12.5 million people to encourage routine vaccination for polio and other diseases, promote hand hygiene to help prevent COVID-19, and bring out-of-school children back to learning.
- Ethiopia: With high levels of humanitarian need, Ethiopia has one of the world’s largest populations of severely wasted children. Using global humanitarian thematic funding, UNICEF and partners supported the treatment of 521,822 severely wasted children. 119,194 children and caregivers were also reached through community-based mental health and psychosocial support.
In 2022, UNICEF is appealing for US$9.4 billions for Humanitarian Action for Children – our largest appeal ever to assist more than 327 million children and their families affected by conflict or disaster in 145 countries and territories. Protecting children from threats to their lives, well-being and dignity will require ongoing improvements in programme efficacy, increased humanitarian resources and continuous innovation in programming and advocacy.
Top 10 donors to Other Resources (emergency), 2021
| Rank* | Resource partner |
Total US$, million |
| 1 | United States of America | 632 |
| 2 | European Union | 329 |
| 3 | Japan | 260 |
| 4 | United States Fund for UNICEF | 165 |
| 5 | United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs** | 159 |
| 6 | GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance | 158 |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 129 |
| 8 | Germany | 127 |
| 9 | World Bank | 100 |
| 10 | Canada | 87 |
*The above ranking is based on the figures of "contributions received."
**The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs line item includes contributions received from the Central Emergency Response Fund and country-based pooled funds.