Humanitarian action and emergencies

A deadly combination of displacement, soaring malnutrition rates, conflict and disaster has left more children in need of humanitarian assistance than at any time since the Second World War . As winter weather has brought freezing temperatures and damp conditions to some parts of the world, children have been left especially exposed and vulnerable…, Ukraine, Ukraine. A family stands in the snow outside temporary housing in Irpin, outside of Kyiv. A family stands in the snow outside temporary housing in Irpin, outside of Kyiv, Ukraine. Months of escalating conflict have left millions of children in Ukraine vulnerable to biting winds and frigid temperatures. Hundreds of thousands of people have seen…, Pakistan, Pakistan. Children sit alongside floodwaters in Dadu District, Sindh Province. Children sit alongside floodwaters in Dadu District, Sindh Province, Pakistan. The rains that brought historic flooding to large swathes of Pakistan in 2022 may have ended, but the crisis for children has not. Millions of girls and boys remain in need of immediate,…, Afghanistan, Afghanistan. Children play in a village in Chaghcharan District in Ghor Province in central Afghanistan. Children play in a village in Chaghcharan District in Ghor Province in central Afghanistan. Decades of conflict, combined with a deteriorating economic situation, drought, food insecurity, and recurring floods have left millions of Afghanistan’…, Syria, Syria. A baby smiles as she is held by her mother as the family waits to receive a winter kit, distributed by UNICEF, in northeast Syria. A baby smiles as she is held by her mother as the family waits to receive a winter kit, distributed by UNICEF, in northeast Syria. More than a decade of humanitarian crises and hostilities has left children in…, Global Humanitarian Thematic Funding, Flexible funding makes it possible for UNICEF to deliver assistance to the most vulnerable families when and where it is needed and in a timely and effective manner. In some places, this includes winterization cash top-ups provided at the start of winter for households to access essential winter items for children. Read more about flexible funding…

The scale of the devastation caused by historic monsoon rains in Pakistan is difficult to comprehend. Around 33 million people have been impacted by the ‘super floods’ – the worst flooding in more than a century – which have left at least 3.4 million children in need of life-saving support.   Young children are living in temporary shelters or out…, 1. Delivering safe water and hygiene supplies , The second wave of the disaster is already hitting hard with outbreaks of watery diarrhoea, typhoid and malaria now increasing rapidly as millions of people sleep in temporary shelters or in the open near stagnating water. Many people are forced to drink contaminated water and practice open defecation. The dangers of mosquitoes, snakebites, skin,…, 2. Supporting good nutrition , The floods impacted parts of Pakistan where children already suffered some of the highest rates of chronic and acute malnutrition. In some areas 40 per cent of children already suffered from stunting, caused by chronic undernutrition, before the floods hit. Increases in diarrhoea and decreased access to food following the floods are compounding…, 3. Helping children access learning , Thousands of schools across the country have been damaged or destroyed due to the floods, compounding the disruption to learning many children experienced during COVID-19 pandemic school closures.  Pakistan. Children walk past their damaged school in Balochistan Province, Pakistan. Children walk past their damaged school in Balochistan Province,…, 4. Providing psychosocial support , Any emergency on this scale increases risks for children, undermining their resilience and psychosocial wellbeing and leaving many in shock and experiencing severe distress from having witnessed the devastation, lost their loved ones, their homes, and cherished possessions.  Pakistan. A man uses a satellite dish to move children across a flooded…