Humanitarian action and emergencies

Factsheets 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.

Humanitarian Action is at the core of UNICEF’s mandate to realize the rights of every child. This edition of  Humanitarian Action for Children  – UNICEF’s annual humanitarian fundraising appeal – describes the ongoing crises affecting Afghanistan refugees; the strategies that we are using to respond to these situations; and the donor support that…, Appeal highlights, More than 7 million Afghans of varying status are residing in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in search of protection and asylum. With the humanitarian situation inside Afghanistan still dire and fluid, new refugee influxes are expected in 2023. Hosting countries will require additional preparedness…, Key planned results for 2023, Nutrition icon 385,059 children screened for wasting Child protection icon 235,882 children/caregivers accessing community-based mental health and psychosocial support Education icon 490,390 children accessing formal or non-formal education, including early learning Wash icon 1.5 million people reached with critical WASH supplies, Funding requirements for 2023, Country needs and strategy, Humanitarian needs Humanitarian needs, The dire humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan, coupled with its volatile political environment, continues to drive Afghan children and families into neighbouring countries in search of protection and asylum. Seven million Afghans of varying status live in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan…, UNICEF's strategy UNICEF’s strategy, UNICEF will continue working with national governments, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, other United Nations agencies and civil society organizations to ensure the rights of Afghan children and families on the move are protected. Guided by the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, UNICEF will…, Programme targets, Find out more about UNICEF's work, December 2022, 2023 www.unicef.org/appeals/afghanistan-outflow HumanitarianAction for Children Afghanistan RefugeesHIGHLIGHTS1 More than 7 million Afghans of varying status are residing in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in search of protection and asylum.2 With the humanitarian situation inside Afghanistan still…

UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal helps support the agency’s work as it provides conflict- and disaster-affected children with access to water, sanitation, nutrition, education, health and protection services.

When the war in Ukraine broke out, Kateryna, a mother of two, quickly packed up some essentials – diapers, clothes – and left the family home in the village of Kryukivshchyna, close to Kyiv. She didn’t take much. She didn’t think she needed to. “We left everything, because it didn’t feel like we were leaving home. I never imagined that we wouldn’t…, Building a new life in Poland and accessing health services, Poland has welcomed more Ukrainian refugees than any other country - almost 1.4 million people have registered there. Many are children, so their needs are at the heart of the refugee response.   The park is a short walk from home, so Mykyta gets to play outdoors most days. UN0705576, The park is a short walk from home, so Mykyta gets to play outdoors most days., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705576/Strek Mykyta’s aunt, 13-year-old Daryna, pretends to take a picture of him with a toy camera. UN0705586, Mykyta’s aunt, 13-year-old Daryna, pretends to take a picture of him with a toy camera., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705586/Strek Matviy enjoys yoghurt for breakfast in his highchair. UN0705551, Matviy enjoys yoghurt for breakfast in his highchair., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705551/Strek Mykyta on the balcony at his new home. UN0705580, Mykyta on the balcony at his new home., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705580/Strek The park is a short walk from home, so Mykyta gets to play outdoors most days. Mykyta’s aunt, 13-year-old Daryna, pretends to take a picture of him with a toy camera. Matviy enjoys yoghurt for breakfast in his highchair. Mykyta on the balcony at his new home. Kateryna quickly registered the children at UNIMED…, Mykyta after receiving his immunizations from the nurse, Ewelina Tytula. He is protected against measles, mumps and rubella with the MMRvaX Pro vaccine; diphtheria, tetanus, and polio types 1, 2 and 3 with the Tetraxim vaccine; and chickenpox using the Varilrix vaccine., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705561/Strek Part of the service includes a general check-up with the doctor. UN0705558, Part of the service includes a general check-up with the doctor., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705558/Strek Matviy also receives vaccinations, protecting him against the same diseases as his older brother. UN0705564, Matviy also receives vaccinations, protecting him against the same diseases as his older brother., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705564/Strek Mykyta is given some stickers and a certificate for being a “brave patient”. UN0705560, Mykyta is given some stickers and a certificate for being a “brave patient”., UNICEF & U.S. CDC/UN0705560/Strek Mykyta after receiving his immunizations from the nurse, Ewelina Tytula. Part of the service includes a general check-up with the doctor. Matviy also receives vaccinations, protecting him against the same diseases as his older brother. Mykyta is given some stickers and a certificate for being a “brave patient”., Making new friends and building confidence on the football field, In addition to getting the vaccinations her children need, Kateryna is also focused on making sure her two boys can participate in activities they enjoy and that they make new friends. “Mykyta is so sociable that he’ll find friends everywhere,” she says. “I found an advertisement for a football club. It turned out that the coach is from Ukraine,…, New beginnings at a new school, While Kateryna is happy that Mykyta is meeting other children, she has been worrying about what’s next for his education. Over the summer, she says she wasn’t even sure where Mykyta’s first day of class would be. Like so many parents who have been forced to uproot their children, Kateryna was finding it difficult to make plans amid the constantly…, After a long day, there's no place like home, The family back at home at the end of a school day. Back at their new apartment, Kateryna stretches the fun day of activities into the evening, just like she did in Kryukivshchyna – the village she and her family had to flee.  Bedtime stories are part of their daily routine. Bedtime stories are part of their nightly routine. “I instilled in Mykyta…

Factsheets 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. 

WARSAW, 3 August 2022 - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas travelled to Poland this week to meet refugee children and families who fled the war in Ukraine.  Chopra Jonas visited a “Blue Dot” space at the Refugee Accommodation Centre in Warsaw, meeting with mothers and children from Ukraine who are now staying at the centre, the…

WARSAW, Poland – Until recently, Olga lived a happy life in Kyiv. She loved spending time with her family. She enjoyed her job as a legal researcher. There was no indication that everything would soon fall apart for her, as it has for so many other families forced to flee everything they’ve known. With tears in her eyes, Olga shows me a video on…

NEW YORK/GENEVA/KYIV, 30 March 2022 – Two million children have now been forced to flee Ukraine, as the war rages on. “The situation inside Ukraine is spiralling,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “As the number of children fleeing their homes continues to climb, we must remember that every single one of them needs protection,…

After a month of war in Ukraine, children continue to be killed, injured and deeply traumatized by the violence all around them. Millions of children have had their lives upended in the most devastating way. The war has caused one of the fastest large-scale displacements of children since World War II – a grim milestone that could have lasting…

NEW YORK/GENEVA, 7 March 2022 – "In the past week, more than one million refugees have been forced to flee Ukraine seeking safety and protection. Hundreds of thousands of them are children. Amongst those fleeing, many are unaccompanied or have been separated from their parents or family members. "Children without parental care are at a heightened…