UNICEF launches “Box of Life” appeal to deliver life-saving support for children in crisis

BANGKOK, 15 November 2024 - UNICEF Thailand today launches an urgent appeal to the public to back its “Box of Life” initiative. This is at the heart of UNICEF's new nationwide campaign, “A Better Tomorrow Today.” The campaign is an urgent call to action for everyone to support children facing challenges worldwide and in Thailand, including health crises, conflict, malnutrition, inequality and climate change. The campaign invites everyone to contribute to a brighter future by donating towards a “Box of Life” — redesigned to provide lifesaving support to children facing one or multiple emergencies.

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Each Box of Life is filled with life-saving materials including vaccines, therapeutic food, water purification tablets, hygiene kits, and learning tools to meet the most critical needs of children in dire situations. Although primarily aimed at saving lives, these boxes provide the resources children need not only to survive but also to grow and thrive even amid mounting crises. By supporting a Box of Life, donors are providing the building blocks for a more hopeful future for every child.

Four prominent figures are stepping up to rally public support for the campaign. UNICEF Thailand National Ambassador Nualphan Lamsam, or Madam Pang, is joined by famous actors James Jirayu Tangsrisuk and Shahkrit Yamnarm, and badminton champion Popor Sapsiree Taerattanachai. They are all powerful advocates who will help UNICEF spread the message that no child should face the future alone and that every individual has a role in building a safer world for them.

“Children in Thailand and around the world are facing urgent and mounting crises that threaten their health, safety, and future,” said Kyungsun Kim, UNICEF Representative for Thailand. “This is a moment for us all to come together—not just to respond, but to ensure no child is left to face these challenges alone. The 'Box of Life' is more than just essential supplies; it’s a hope and a bridge to a brighter future. By supporting this initiative, each of us can help provide the lifeline children need to survive today and thrive tomorrow.”

Videos showing the Box of Life are being showcased across Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain network in a unique action called “The Train to the Future.” Wrapped in artwork created by children and expressing their hopes for a better future, these trains serve as a moving canvas for the vision of “A Better Tomorrow, Today.” In collaboration with UNICEF, children worked alongside artists to design these vibrant train wraps, symbolizing a journey toward a safer, healthier, and more hopeful world and expressing solidarity with children facing severe hardships around the world.

Globally, millions of children are living in desperate conditions, facing preventable crises that threaten their lives and futures:

• Every day, 13,400 children die from causes that could be prevented with basic access to vaccines, clean water, and sanitation
• Over 45 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, leading to one million child deaths each year
• Malaria alone claims 400,000 young lives every year
• 250 million children are out of school, many in conflict zones where education is their only beacon of hope and stability
• 65 per cent of children in East Asia and the Pacific face four or more climate-related threats, such as floods and pollution - nearly double the global average.

“Statistics only tell part of the story—behind every number is a young life full of potential, dreams, and the right to a future,” said Nualphan Lamsam, UNICEF Thailand Ambassador. “These tragedies can be stopped—but only if we act together, and we act now. Every contribution to the 'Box of Life' campaign is a direct step toward saving lives and protecting futures. We are not just delivering aid; we are delivering hope, resilience, and the chance for every child to grow up safe and strong”.

As a leader in humanitarian aid, UNICEF is dedicated to reaching the most vulnerable children, even in the hardest-to-reach areas. By 2030, UNICEF aims to provide one billion people with safe sanitation—a goal the Box of Life will help make possible. UNICEF’s work continues to deliver life-changing impact:

• In 2023 alone, UNICEF distributed 2.8 billion vaccine doses across 105 countries, reaching nearly half of the world’s children under five
• UNICEF supplied 80 per cent of the world’s therapeutic food, saving millions of children’s lives
• Over 42 million UNICEF-supported learning materials reached 28.3 million children, including those in emergency situations.

The Box of Life initiative offers everyone an opportunity to play a crucial role in this mission. Every donation is an investment in a stronger, more sustainable society and a brighter future where today’s children grow to become tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and changemakers.

To make a donation, please go to www.unicef.or.th/boxoflife

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Visit www.unicef.or.th/better-tomorrow/en to find out ways to contribute and be part of this inspiring effort to create A Better Tomorrow Today.