Humanitarian action and emergencies

In conflicts around the world, civilians continue to endure the devastating consequences of the use of explosive weapons. Every year, thousands of children are killed, seriously injured or have their lives severely altered – during armed conflict and long after hostilities have ended. As armed conflicts have increasingly been fought in cities,…, Why children are particularly vulnerable to explosive weapons, Child survivors of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) endure devastating physical injuries. Some lose their sight, hearing or limbs, while others lose the ability to speak. Children who have been injured, especially those left with disabilities, have different physical rehabilitation needs to adults and, in situations where resources are…, How UNICEF is responding, UNICEF and partners provide lifesaving aid during and after conflict erupts and work to strengthen systems to protect children and support their survival, health and development. This includes interventions to ensure access to food, shelter, social support and health care. UNICEF rehabilitates and upgrades destroyed water and sanitation systems,…, Political Declaration on the use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, The Political Declaration on the use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas , adopted in Dublin in November 2022, is a crucial opportunity to better protect children, their families and communities from armed conflict. The declaration sends a strong signal worldwide that harming civilians and damaging cities is not a reality we should accept by…, What UNICEF is calling for, All parties to conflict and those with influence over them, to protect and ensure respect for children’s rights including by ending the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. All member states to sign the EWIPA Declaration and to the member states that are already signatories, to identify and adopt military measures, policies, and practices…

Worldwide, one in every 10 children has a disability – and the proportion is even higher in populations affected by armed conflict or disasters. Children and adults with disabilities are among the most marginalized people in any community affected by crisis. Exacerbating this situation, they often are excluded from humanitarian assistance. But…

A girl held by her mother is getting checked for malnutrition. Aynet Farhat, 16 months old, with her mother and a health worker at the Red Crescent Center in Hajjah governorate, Yemen. Thanks to the support from OCHA, 7,500 cartons of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) were provided along with routine medication, benefiting 7,500 children under…

Around the world, attacks on children continue unabated. The number of countries experiencing violent conflict is the highest it has been in the last 30 years. The result is that more than 30 million children have been displaced by conflict. Many of them are being enslaved, trafficked, abused and exploited. Many more are living in limbo, without…, Stop attacks on children, Ultimately children need peace to thrive. It is critical for children that efforts to end today’s seemingly endless armed conflicts are redoubled. But children cannot wait for protection – while wars continue, we must never accept attacks against children. More than 30 years since the adoption of the  Convention on the Rights of the Child , and…, What we can all do to make change happen, Citizens everywhere   can begin by not averting their gaze from children’s suffering, because it seems too distant or the politics of conflict too complex. We must insist to national and international leaders that protecting children during armed conflict is the cornerstone of our shared humanity. We must demand leadership which is prepared to act…, Recent news and features, Protecting children from explosive weapons in populated areas, Iraq. Two children walk to school past damaged buildings in the old city area of Mosul, Iraq. Two children walk to school in the old city area of Mosul, Iraq. In conflicts around the world, civilians continue to endure the devastating consequences of the use of  https://www.unicef.org/protection/protecting-children-from-explosive-weapons explosive…

Situation reports are the main reporting tool to monitor UNICEF’s humanitarian response. They provide an update on the situation and needs of children in a country or region, as well as information on UNICEF’s response and funding requirements., 2022, 31 December 2022 Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) Humanitarian Situation Report No. 3 30 September 2022 30 June 2022 31 March 2022, 2021, 31 December 2021 30 September 2021 30 June 2021 30 April 2021 Support to India as part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A)

We have a choice. It is not inevitable that children are direct targets in conflict, or that indiscriminate attacks against children are a by-product of conflict. Too often, warring parties block and deny life-saving assistance to children. Meanwhile, millions of children are left close to death due to severe acute malnutrition, being forced to…, Uphold children’s rights in conflict  , All warring parties must fulfil their obligations to protect children and  end grave violations  against children in times of war, and those with influence should use their power to support warring parties to take steps to do so.  This means: Stopping attacks on children and the services on which they rely. Parties to conflict must:  End …, Hold perpetrators of child rights violations to account , States, including UN Security Council Members and all with influence, must act to hold the perpetrators of crimes against children to account. Children have rights in conflict, and there are laws and norms that exist to protect them. Failing to uphold these duties is a failure of morality, humanity and leadership.  , Keep children and their communities safe and support recovery from the experiences of war , Humanitarian donors must increase their investments in protecting children in conflict; supporting survivors; and monitoring, reporting, and engaging with parties to conflict to end child rights violations. This includes prioritizing mental health and psychosocial support, reintegration, and taking action to prevent and respond to gender-based…, Work towards inclusive and lasting peace  , All parties to conflict should immediately put an end to fighting and work towards lasting and inclusive peace. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Secretary General called for a global ceasefire. The international community must support UN-led efforts to broker lasting peace. At a minimum, all parties to conflict must ensure a pause for…

UNICEF relies on Funding to UNICEF voluntary contributions to uphold our mission of reaching every child. UNICEF seeks adequate and quality resources to support effective preparedness and timely response to humanitarian and protection needs, particularly of the most vulnerable populations. UNICEF thematic contributions are pooled, flexible multi-…, Why Global Humanitarian Thematic Funding is important, With Global Humanitarian Thematic Funding (GHTF), UNICEF and partners are able to:, Top resource partners to GHTF, 2024, As of 26 April 2024 Ranking  Name of Partner  Total US$  1 Private sector fundraising by UNICEF country offices            2,743,232 2 Swedish Committee for UNICEF  1,617,666 3 United States Fund for UNICEF  515,337 4 Dutch Committee for UNICEF  305,466 5 United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF 285,171 6 German Committee for UNICEF 222,417 7 Canadian…, Top resource partners to GHTF, 2023, As of 31 December 2023 Ranking  Name of Partner  Total US$  1  German Federal Foreign Office  31,996,394  2  Kingdom of the Netherlands  18,619,934  3  Private sector fundraising by UNICEF country offices  11,878,506  4  Sweden  11,050,795  5  United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF  9,007,964  6  Dutch Committee for UNICEF  3,624,667  7  United…, Global Humanitarian Funding Allocations, 2024, As of 26 April 2024 Destination  Total US$  Sudan  2,120,000 Afghanistan 2,110,464 Democratic Republic of the Congo  2,053,028 South Sudan 1,600,000 Myanmar 1,500,000 Ethiopia 1,350,000 Nigeria 1,300,000 Bangladesh 1,250,000 State of Palestine  1,120,000 Lebanon   1,120,000 Pakistan  1,000,000 Haiti  1,000,000 Burkina Faso 980,000 Somalia 805,643…, GHTF Impact for Children: Examples from 2023 , In 2023, flexible allocations from the Global Humanitarian Thematic Fund allowed country offices to ensure a robust response across multiple sectors, including nutrition; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); child protection and health.  Türkiye A child's hand drawing a giraffe on paper UNICEF/UN0825154/Haşim Kiliç After the immediate systemwide…, South Sudan, A woman have her arms wrap around her son. UNICEF/South Sudan/2023 In the context of severe child protection needs, limited services, and an 88 per cent funding gap, GHTF allowed the South Sudan country office to deploy trained social workers and quickly set up Child-Friendly Spaces at a remote border locations where more than 134,000 women and…, Allocation criteria, The directors of the Public Partnerships Division, Programme Division and Office of Emergency Programmes endorse the proposals for GHTF allocation. The proposals are then reviewed and approved by the Deputy Director of Programmes. A set of clear criteria is used to allocate GHTF at all levels – country, regional, multi-regional and global. These…, Previous results, Results from 2023, Top resource partners to GHTF, 2023, As of 31 December   Top resource partners to GHTF, 2023 Ranking  Name of Partner  Total US$  1  German Federal Foreign Office  31,996,394  2  Kingdom of the Netherlands  18,619,934  3  Private sector fundraising by UNICEF country offices  11,878,506  4  Sweden  11,050,795  5  United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF  9,007,964  6  Dutch Committee for…, Global Humanitarian Funding Allocations, 2023, As of 31 December Global Humanitarian Funding Allocations, 2023 Destination  Total US$  Sudan  7,998,960  State of Palestine  7,178,550  Lebanon  4,877,000  Afghanistan  3,977,500  Haiti  3,812,579  Myanmar  3,655,382  Syria  3,651,973  Democratic Republic of the Congo  3,486,782  Bangladesh  2,949,000  Cameroon  2,928,080  Chad  2,908,852  Europe…, Results from 2022, Top resource partners to GHTF, 2022, As of 31 December Ranking Name of Partner Total US$ 1 Netherlands 21,716,649 2 United States Fund for UNICEF 21,567,098 3 German Federal Foreign Office 20,682,523 4 Private sector fundraising by UNICEF country offices 16,627,834 5 Swiss Committee for UNICEF 12,232,416 6 Sweden 11,717,546 7 United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF 4,796,483 8 Swedish…, Global Humanitarian Funding Allocations, 2022, As of 30 November Destination Total US$ Ethiopia 6,663,272 Somalia 5,978,245 Yemen 5,859,000 Burkina Faso 5,500,000 Kenya 4,000,000 Cluster Coordination** 4,000,000 Mali 3,208,076 Bangladesh 1,785,000 South Sudan 1,278,351 Niger 1,235,063 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 1,150,000 Philippines 1,058,026 Haiti 1,000,000 Syrian Arab Republic 1,000,…, Results from 2021, Top resource partners to GHTF, 2021, Rank Resource partner Total US$   Netherlands 19.9m   Swedish Committee for UNICEF 3.1m   Republic of Korea 1.0m   Australian Committee for UNICEF 850,836   Finnish Committee for UNICEF 765,578   Denmark 662,202   Netherlands Committee for UNICEF 642,914   United Kingdom Committee for UNICEF 628,901   Danish UNICEF Committee 461,113   German…, Global Humanitarian Funding Allocations, 2021 , Destination Total US$ Haiti 1,500,000 South Sudan 1,250,000 State of Palestine 1,225,024 Afghanistan 1,150,000 Mozambique 1,146,857 Bangladesh 1,050,000 Yemen 1,000,000 Burkina Faso 900,000 Latin America and the Caribbean 850,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo 800,000 Iraq 800,000 Pakistan 750,000 Central African Republic 700,000 Ethiopia 700,…

The scale of the COVID-19 crisis has been unprecedented. National governments in many countries continue to grapple with the challenges of reaching their populations with the tools they need to fight COVID-19, while also working to recover from the economic and social impacts of the pandemic. Since the start, UNICEF has been working to address the…, Find out more about UNICEF’s work, Child health and survival, The pandemic has taught everyone how important global health is and the deep inequities that exist. UNICEF is working tirelessly to make sure that every child has the access to the health care and nutrition they need to not only survive, but thrive.  Learn more, Working with donors and partners, UNICEF is reaching millions of children and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, thanks to the generous support of our donors and partners. Learn more, Responding with life-saving supplies, Despite major disruptions to global supply chains, UNICEF has been working around the clock to deliver critical supplies. Discover the items UNICEF is procuring and delivering around the world. Learn more, COVID-19 data and research, Access quality data to inform the response to the pandemic. Learn more, Children and COVID-19 research library, Visit an online, curated library of the latest research around COVID-19 and children. Learn more, Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A), The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A) is groundbreaking collaboration to bring COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments to everyone, everywhere. Learn more, COVAX information centre, Read about the largest vaccine supply operation ever, launched to ensure that all countries and territories participating in COVAX have equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Learn more, Guidance and support for parents, Get expert tips and guidance on how to support your family and navigate the pandemic. Learn more, The learning crisis, Education systems were already failing our children even before the pandemic. COVID-19 has exacerbated this learning crisis and children in almost every country have fallen behind in their learning. Find out how UNICEF is tackling the learning crisis head on. Learn more, Recent news and features, Responding to COVID-19 around the world, From delivering vaccines and other life-saving health supplies, to building water and hygiene facilities, to keeping girls and boys connected to education and protection, UNICEF has been working to slow the spread of COVID-19 and minimize its impact on children worldwide. Read more about UNICEF’s impact across the globe:

Situation reports are the main reporting tool to monitor UNICEF’s humanitarian response. They provide an update on the situation and needs of children in a country or region, as well as information on UNICEF’s response and funding requirements., 2020, Global Covid-19 Situation Report, December 2020 December 2020 GlobalCOVID-19SitRepNo.15-Nov2020 November 2020 GLOBAL-COVID19-SitRep-October-2020 Health and Nutrition, October 2020 Global COVID-19 Situation Report, October 2020 October 2020 Global COVID-19 Situation Report, September 2020 September 2020 11 September 2020 10 August 2020 Mid-term…, By region/country, Situation reports for UNICEF’s coronavirus (COVID-19) response are also produced by some regions and countries. Find links to those resources below., East Asia and the Pacific, East Asia and the Pacific Region Indonesia Mongolia Vietnam, Eastern and Southern Africa, Angola Ethiopia Madagascar Malawi Mozambique Rwanda Somalia South Africa Uganda, Europe and Central Asia, Europe and Central Asia Region Azerbaijan Georgia Turkey Ukraine, Latin America and the Caribbean, Latin America and the Caribbean Region Bolivia Chile Colombia Ecuador Panama Peru Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of, Middle East and North Africa, Middle East and North Africa Region, South Asia, South Asia Region India Pakistan, West and Central Africa, West and Central Africa Region Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Central Africa Republic Chad Côte d’Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Mauritania Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Togo   Read more about Humanitarian Action for Children here . View the Coronavirus (COVID-19)…

UNICEF works for the rights of every child, every day, across the globe

The COVID-19 pandemic remains a crisis on an unprecedented scale. National governments continue to grapple with the challenges of implementing public health measures, maintaining essential health and social services, and reaching populations – especially the hardest to reach – with COVID-19 tools. New variants continue to emerge as the pandemic…, ACT-A HAC appeal for 2022, Venezuela. COVID-19 vaccines are offloaded from a plane. To do our part in the ACT-A cooperation framework,  UNICEF requires US$1.3 billion  for its ACT-A Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal, to deliver lifesaving vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics for COVID-19 in 2022. This includes $575 million to support the delivery of COVID-19…, ACT-A HAC 2022 results, As of 10 January 2023, $882.2 million has been received thanks to: Donor Amount (US$) Gavi 268.9 million United States of America 203.4 million Germany 145.9 million Canada 135.3 million Private Sector 69.2 million Japan 38.5 million Australia 12.8 million Italy 3.3 million United Nations Joint Programme* 2.7 million Iceland 1.9 million China 800,…, COVID-19 response: 2022 results, UNICEF is responding to COVID-19 across 145 countries and territories through 52 appeals in 2022  UNICEF continues to respond to the urgent needs caused by COVID-19, outlined in the country, multi-country and regional Humanitarian Action for Children appeals , as children around the world continue to miss out on essential services crucial for…, Previous appeals results, A UNICEF staff member stands in a warehouse of supplies. ACT-A HAC: 2021 results, Contributions bar chart UNICEF As of 9 March 2022, $828.2 million had been received thanks to:     Donor Donation (US$) Private sector 287.6 million GAVI 184.5 million Japan 122.5 million Germany 56.3 million United States 50.7 million Norway* 50 million European Commission/ECHO 31.9 million Australia 13.7 million Canada 7.6 million New Zealand 7.…, Bangladesh. A girl washes her hands. COVID-19 response results from 2021, With the timely and generous support of our donors and partners, UNICEF has received $471.6M to support its COVID-19 response in 2021: Donor Donation (US$) Private Sector 91.7 million United States 110 million Germany 109.2 million Canada 26.7 million UNOPS - New York 14.9 million World Bank (as secondary donor) 12.6 million European Commission 11…, Côte d'Ivoire. A child holds up a sign. 2020 COVID-19 Appeal, As of the end of 2020, $1.62 billion had been committed thanks to contributions from:  Resource partner Donation (US$) Germany 251.8 million Global Partnership for Education 239.2 million United States 174.7 million United Kingdom 150.9 million Private Sector 144.4 million World Bank 117.3 million Japan 112.2 million European Union 62.7 million…

From the Ebola response to the Rohingya refugee crisis and Yemen conflict