Global

Social protection has emerged as a crucial policy and programme measure to reduce poverty and help those impacted by crises to prepare for, cope with and recover from shocks. Despite the recognition of the value of social protection, only 26.4 per cent of children globally receive social protection benefits.  Global data on access to social…

UNICEF Core Commitments for Children (CCC) in Humanitarian Action include a commitment to “Ensure that children and adults with disabilities and their caregivers participate in decisions that affect their lives and have access to safe and confidential complaints mechanisms. Using safe and confidential feedback and reporting mechanisms based on…

Responding to climate change, reducing poverty, and supporting social inclusion must be addressed together to build resilient economies and societies. As the recovery from COVID-19 continues, governments need to invest in addressing social and economic inequalities while actively promoting new, sustainable, and climate-friendly livelihoods and…

Around 235 million people globally required humanitarian assistance in 2021. For children, this alarming reality meant being malnourished, missing school, lacking clean water to drink or adequate facilities for hygiene and living at risk of violence. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused some of these harms and exacerbated…, UNICEF responded in 153 countries to 483 new or ongoing humanitarian crises. Altogether, UNICEF responded to 104 natural disasters, 84 socio-political crises, 226 health emergencies (including the COVID-19 pandemic response), 27 nutrition crises and 42 other critical situations., two-young-children-looking-AR-technology Key results from humanitarian responses, Ethiopia: More than 521,800 children under 5 years with severe acute malnutrition were admitted to treatment Yemen: More than 5.8 million conflict-affected people accessed explosive weapons-related and mine-risk risk education and survivor assistance interventions Central Sahel: 554 children were released from armed forces and groups and…, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express its sincere appreciation for these contributions. In addition, UNICEF is grateful to all resource partners that contributed to global humanitarian thematic funding in 2021 and for their commitment to…, Read more and support our work, June 2022, Global Annual Results Report 2021 Humanitarian action Cover image: UNICEF/UN0551315/Hayyan Two girls celebrate World Childrens Day in November 2021 at Al Shaab School in Aden Governorate, Yemen. Expression of thanks: UNICEF/UN0588735/Coutinho A young girl enjoys a back-to-school moment in Lagoa dos Gatos, Pernambuco, Brazil. In August 2021, UNICEF…

Seventy-four years after UNICEF was established and 31 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the organization’s mission to promote the full attainment of the rights of all children is as urgent as ever.  The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2018-2021 is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and charts a course…, 1 in 6 children in the world is living in extreme poverty Nearly 20% of children under 5 are extremely poor, compared to 7.9% of adults 100 million additional children are estimated to be living in multidimensional poverty as a result of the pandemic, a 10 per cent increase since 2019 Child poverty has devastating consequences for children,…, portrait-girl Public finance for children, In 137 UNICEF country offices as part of the COVID-19 response, UNICEF worked with governments, development partners and International Financial Institutions to protect and leverage resources for children  In 65 countries supported national governments to strengthen social sector budgets for better and increased investments for children  In 96…, portrait-girl Strengthening social protection systems, Only 1 in 4 children currently has any access to a child or family benefit Nearly 133 million children in 95 countries were reached through UNICEF-supported cash transfer programmes 115 countries were supported with building inclusive and shock-responsive social protection systems supporting emergency responses Social protection has continued to…, girls-football-match Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, 94 UNICEF Country Programmes across all regions included concrete gender equality objectives 64 UNICEF Country Offices  carried out interventions to confront gender discriminatory roles and norms and promote positive gender socialization 3 million mothers, fathers and caregivers were reached across 94 countries  To promote positive gender norms…, big-sister-carry-younger-sister Supporting children with disabilities to reach their full potential, 4.8 million children with disabilities across 148 countries reached with UNICEF disability-inclusive development and humanitarian programmes Over 134,000 children provided with assistive technology (AT) and accessible products, exceeding the 2021 target of 95,200 55 per cent of UNICEF country offices systematically included children with…, young-women-outside Supporting adolescents to engage in shaping their future, Adolescent Participation and Civic Engagement 19,500,000 adolescents (54 per cent girls) engaged in UNICEF programmes across 125 countries in humanitarian and development settings 5,700,000 adolescents  engaged specifically in UNICEF programmes in humanitarian action and more than one million in climate change advocacy. 92 per cent of UNICEF…, girl-hugging-globe Looking forward, Looking ahead, UNICEF is sharpening the focus of this Goal Area with a focus on reducing child poverty, revamping and reaffirming our focus on public finance for an inclusive recovery, and expanding access to inclusive social protection, including in humanitarian crises and fragile contexts. Strengthening social protection systems’ capacities to…,    With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contribution, Read more and support our work, June 2022, Global Annual Results Report 2021 GOAL AREA 5 Every child has an equitable chance in life Cover image: UNICEF/UNI388995/Mussapp As part of the response to COVID-19, UNICEF and the World Bank supported the Government of Guatemala with the design and implementation of Bono Familia, an unconditional emergency cash transfer programme to support the…

In 2020, UNICEF and partners responded to 455 new and ongoing humanitarian situations in 152 countries. More than half of all UNICEF expenses in 2020 supported humanitarian action.  Globally, UNICEF and partners reached millions of children with lifesaving, gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive interventions in the areas of health, nutrition,…, Humanitarian needs grew exponentially in 2020. By the end of the year, 235 million people – 1 in 33 people worldwide were in need of humanitarian assistance and protection. That represents a significant increase from the 1 in 45 people in need when the year began, which was already the highest figure in decades.   During the year, the COVID-19…, UNICEF humanitarian action in 2020, In 2020, UNICEF and its implementing partners responded to 455 new and ongoing humanitarian situations in 152 countries and territories, compared with 281 humanitarian situations in 96 countries and territories in 2019. The significant increase in the number of humanitarian situations and countries can be attributed to the UNICEF humanitarian…, Type and scale of humanitarian response in 2020, Delivering humanitarian results for children, These are some of the key humanitarian results achieved against targets for children by UNICEF and partners in 2020. In some contexts, achievements were constrained by limited resources, including across sectors; inadequate humanitarian access; insecurity; and challenging operating environments. UNICEF In the Ecuadorian Amazon, remote doesn’t mean…, Key results from humanitarian responses, A young baby sits on their mother's lap with their sleeve rolled up UNICEF/UN0358770/Faze Afghanistan Over 506,000 children and pregnant and lactating women received essential health services and health education, including through mobile outreach teams (exceeding the target). A young girl sitting at a desk in her bedroom using a computer tablet…, Emergency deployments, A total of 319 emergency (surge) deployments were reported and completed in 2020, down from 600 in 2019. These deployments totalled nearly 34,000 days, with an average mission length of 122 days., Top 3 crises supported through emergency deployments, Partnerships, In 2020, UNICEF collaborated with 1,852 civil society partners (1,294 local and 558 international non-governmental organizations). UNICEF also partnered with national government responders, transferring nearly US$244 million of humanitarian funding. Overall, 28 per cent of humanitarian funding went directly to local and national civil society and…, Emergency supplies, A man wearing a mask and a UNICEF jacket standing in front of a shipment of emergencies supplies being loaded into a plane UNICEF/UNI322101/ Supplying the fight against COVID-19 Currently affecting more than 200 countries and territories, the COVID-19 virus has upended the lives of children and their families everywhere, placing a huge strain on…, Resource mobilization, The year’s results were made possible by the generous contributions of resource partners, including governments, National Committees and corporate partners. The UNICEF resource mobilization strategy for humanitarian action continued to put children at the centre of political and policy agendas to generate adequate and quality financial resources…, Global humanitarian thematic funding, UNICEF Global Humanitarian Thematic Funding global humanitarian thematic funds – critical multi-year flexible funding – allowed the organization to meet critical needs. These funds helped UNICEF respond to overlapping crises in the Sahel, where vulnerable people urgently needed multisectoral support throughout the year; scale up its response to…, Looking forward, A young woman standing in a classroom in front of a blackboard A boy standing in front of solar panels and waving A girl standing in front of a white wall with colourful butterflies and flowers painted on it UNICEF is dedicated to improving its humanitarian action, in accordance with its Strategic Plan, to meet the challenges described above and…, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contributions. June 2021, Global Annual Results Report 2020 Humanitarian action Cover image: UNICEF/UNI367251/Fazel Somaya, 9 years, washes her hands at a UNICEF-supported handwashing facility for internally displaced children in Ferdousi camp, Balkh province, Afghanistan (September 2020). Expression of thanks: UNICEF/UN0403198/Abdalkarim A refugee boy at a UNICEF-…

Seventy-four years after UNICEF was established and 31 years since the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the organization’s mission to promote the full attainment of the rights of all children is as urgent as ever.  The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2018-2021 is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and charts a course…, In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed an era-defining challenge which has put a sobering spotlight on inequalities in every country, laying bare the increasing risk to children growing up in poverty, exclusion or conflict.  The most harmful effects have fallen on the poorest countries and communities. Those that were already marginalized and…, Ending child poverty by 2030, Icon representing poverty - child with an empty bowl 1 in 6 children in the world is living in extreme poverty Icon representing children - boy and girl holding hands Nearly 20% of children under 5 are extremely poor, compared to 7.9% of adults Icon representing chart - bar graph 1.2 billion children are estimated to be multidimensionally poor, up…, Child poverty in fragile contexts, While COVID-19 has had fundamental impacts on increasing child poverty, underlying threats of conflict, fragility and climate change are also crucial long-term drivers. About 40 percent of children who live in fragile and conflict-affected countries live in extreme poverty compared to 15 percent of children in other countries. With the impacts of…, Public finance for children, Icon representing government building - building with flag flying In 124 UNICEF country offices as part of the COVID-19 response, UNICEF worked with governments, development partners and International Financial Institutions to protect and leverage resources for children  Icon representing country office - shape of undefined country In 119…, Making public spending on children’s rights more efficient and effective, The COVID-19 crisis has created major pressure on public budgets and social sector spending as governments faced decreased revenues and increased pressure on spending for pandemic response. Focusing on efficiency and effectiveness of public budgets during the COVID-19 response and recovery has been key to ensure the sustainability of social sector…, Strengthening social protection systems, Icon representing cash transfer - hands protecting child 115 countries were supported with building inclusive and shock-responsive social protection systems supporting emergency responses Icon representing children - boy and girl holding hands Over 130.7 million children in 93 countries were reached through UNICEF-supported cash transfer…, UNICEF's support to build social protection systems, Supporting childcare and adolescent employability, UNICEF works towards enhancing quality childcare services and family-friendly policies, particularly for working mothers; and improving access to employment, job-placement and skills-development programmes for adolescents and youth. COVID-19 further increased the care burden on women and adolescent girls given that schools, childcare centres and…, Linking humanitarian cash transfers to social protection systems, Children in fragile and humanitarian contexts face additional vulnerabilities and strengthening social protection in these contexts is particularly important. For the first time, UNICEF has included social protection in its Core Commitments for Children in humanitarian contexts and worked in almost 80 countries to help ensure their social…, Promoting positive gender norms and socialization, Icon representing social norms - a man and a woman with a rainbow over their heads 49 UNICEF country programmes carried out interventions to confront gender-discriminatory roles and norms and promote positive gender socialization Icon representing children without parental care - two protective hands around a heart An estimated 2.6 million mothers…, Supporting children with disabilities to reach their full potential, Icon representing children with disabilities - child in a wheelchair 2.2 million children with disabilities across 144 countries reached with UNICEF disability-inclusive development and humanitarian programmes  Icon representing computer connected to the internet Over 152,000 children provided with assistive technology (AT) and accessible products…, Furthering inclusive education, Disability-inclusive education means that all children and adolescents with disabilities can enjoy their right to education on an equal basis with their peers. UNICEF works with partners to promote accessible and inclusive learning spaces and materials. More importantly, it works with teachers and school administrations to promote inclusive…, Reducing stigma and invisibility through advocacy and communication, Stigma and discrimination are key barriers to inclusion of girls and boys with disabilities. UNICEF works to transform attitudes and social norms around disability to support the full inclusion of children with disabilities in society. The COVID-19 crisis shifted many priorities and created an urgent need for inclusive Risk-Communication and…, Supporting adolescents to engage in shaping their future, Icon representing skills development - pencil and wrench 7.7 million children over 3.2 million girls – participated in UNICEF-supported skills development, empowerment and employability training programmes  Icon representing gender quality - male and femal symbols with equals symbol 61 countries supported to institutionalize gender-equitable…, Building skills and capacities of adolescents, UNICEF approaches skills-building by strengthening systems to integrate life skills into education systems, using community platforms to reach the most disadvantaged, working with adults to support adolescents and young people, applying experiential and innovative approaches, and using digital platforms. YuWaah - Generation Unlimited India YuWaah…, Looking forward, A young woman standing in a classroom in front of a blackboard A boy standing in front of solar panels and waving A girl standing in front of a white wall with colourful butterflies and flowers painted on it UNICEF will define its next Strategic Plan in 2021 addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic while contributing to accelerate the…, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contributions. June 2021, Global Annual Results Report 2020 GOAL AREA 5 Every child has an equitable chance in life Cover image: UNICEF/UNI389019/Mussap Telma Paz, 36 years old, and her children, 11, 9 and 4 years old, benefit from the Bono Familia programme granted by the Government of Guatemala, with support from UNICEF and the World Bank. Telma sells pancakes and works…

More than 70 years after UNICEF was established, the organization’s mission to promote the full attainment of the rights of all children is as urgent as ever. The UNICEF Strategic Plan 2018–2021 is anchored in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and charts a course towards attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the realization…, Building on the principle of leaving no one behind, results under UNICEF Goal Area 5 focuses on tackling key dimensions of discrimination and inequity that prevent the realization of children’s rights, while contributing to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).   Goal Area 5 works to reduce child poverty, including by influencing public…, Results, The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) calls on States to guarantee the right of every child to social security and ‘a standard of living adequate for the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development’. UNICEF Goal Area 5 programming aims to ensure that every child has a fair chance in life, by reducing child poverty,…, Child Poverty, Despite remarkable progress in poverty reduction globally in the past two decades, progress to reduce child poverty has stalled  in many parts of the world, particularly in regions plagued by conflict or unstable governance. Living in poverty profoundly impacts the full range of children’s rights, diminishing their life chances and ability to…, Public finance for children, Children’s rights can only be realized if states enact effective policies, legislation and programmes, and use public budgets to support implementation. The work UNICEF has done on Public Finance for Children (PF4C) supports countries to meet their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) by influencing governments to…, Promoting sustainable investment on child rights, UNICEF works to ensure adequate expenditure on sectors and services that contribute to the realization of child rights in 84 countries. UNICEF uses evidence-based approaches to identify potential areas for flexibility so that funds can be directed towards social spending without jeopardizing the sustainability of current and future budgets. In…, Social Protection, UNICEF’s social protection work is focused on addressing financial barriers to children’s rights to education, health, nutrition and income security, and in supporting social protection system design to ensure it is inclusive and responds to protection risks and opportunities. In 2019, UNICEF continued working with governments to helps strengthen…, Gender Equality, A child wearing a toy medical kit sits on the floor of an Early Childhood Devleopment Centre in Bangladesh A critical barrier standing in the way towards greater equality is entrenched discriminatory gender norms. These norms and modes of behaviour govern every aspect of a child’s growing years – from how they dress, what they eat, how much girls…, Children with Disabilities, Globally, at least 10 per cent of all children have disabilities. Children with disabilities are one of the most excluded and marginalized groups,  and often face multiple challenges in realising their human rights. Guided by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and aligned to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD),…, Furthering inclusive education, social policy and services, UNICEF has made considerable advancements advocating for and implementing inclusive programmes and services to ensure children with disabilities enjoy the same rights as their peers. Graphic representing disabilities 13,722 children with disabilities provided with assistive devices and 124,287 were reached through accessible emergency kits Graphic…, Adolescent Participation and Civic Engagement, "We showed that we are united and that we, young people, are unstoppable" Greta Thunberg, United Nations Youth Climate Summit, New York City, 21 September 2019 Adolescents (between the ages of 10 and 19) number 1.2 billion in the world today, making up 16 per cent of the world’s population. When adolescents are civically engaged, they individually…, Looking forward, The COVID-19 pandemic was in its initial stages at the end of 2019. It is now clear that the global crisis triggered by the pandemic is unprecedented. The effects of the pandemic are not limited to health but extend across the full range of children’s rights especially for the most disadvantaged, who are disproportionately impacted by the…, Global Annual Results Report 2019 GOAL AREA 5 Every child has an equitable chance in life Cover image: UNICEF/Zambia/2020/Schermbrucker Nola, a six-year-old living in Zambia, whose grandmother, Albertina, is the recipient of a UNICEF-supported cash transfer programme. In 2019, Zambia experienced below-normal rainfall, leading to widespread crop…

Across the world, 385 million children are struggling to survive on less than US$1.90 a day, and more than 663 million – or 1 in 3 – are living in multidimensionally poor households. Social vulnerabilities, resulting from personal characteristics and societal dynamics such as age, disability, ethnicity and gender, further compound the impacts of…

NEW YORK, 13 June 2019 – Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Estonia and Portugal offer the best family-friendly policies among 31 rich countries with available data, according to a new UNICEF report . Switzerland, Greece, Cyprus, United Kingdom and Ireland rank the lowest. Produced by UNICEF’s Office of Research – Innocenti the report ranks countries across…

Ending Extreme Poverty: A Focus on Children  – a briefing note from the World Bank Group and UNICEF – finds that children in developing countries are more than twice as likely as adults to live in extreme poverty. The briefing note finds that in 2013, 19.5 per cent of children in 89 countries were living in households that survived on an average…, Get the latest data, research and analysis on the issues affecting children around the world., Browse all UNICEF publications, Discover our latest reports and explore by topic. September 2016, EL NIOS IMPACT ON CHILDREN A WAKE-UP CALL UNICEF NOVEMBER 2015 3 Ending Extreme Poverty: a Focus on Children OCTOBER 2016 UN ICEF /UN I190 047/ QUAR MYN E Briefing Note ENDING EXTREME POVERTY:A FOCUS ON CHILDREN UNICEF and WORLD BANK GROUP OCTOBER 20162 The world is facing an ambitious target: to end extreme poverty by 2030. This vision is central…