Our Mission | UNICEF USA
 

Helping every child thrive, all over the world

Over eight decades, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has built an unprecedented global support system for the world’s children. UNICEF relentlessly works day in and day out to deliver the essentials that give every child an equitable chance in life: health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more. UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by rallying the American public to support the world’s most vulnerable children. Together, we have helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization.

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What UNICEF is doing

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, defend their rights and help them reach their full potential — from early childhood through adolescence.

Core components of UNICEF's global operations include:

CHILD PROTECTION — saving and protecting children in conflict, preventing violence against children, ending child trafficking and protecting children from the impacts of climate change

CHILD SURVIVAL  — immunization and disease outbreak response (COVID-19,Ebola, HIV/AIDS), nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs

EDUCATION — supporting schools and improving access to learning

EMERGENCY RELIEF — protecting the rights of child refugees and migrants, addressing food crises, meeting the urgent needs of children and families affected by earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tsunamis and other natural disasters

GENDER EQUALITY, EMPOWERMENT and INCLUSION —  including advocating for children with disabilities

INNOVATION — accelerating efforts to develop, deploy and scale innovative solutions in humanitarian work

Visit the UNICEF data hub for details on UNICEF program activities and impact by country.

What UNICEF USA is doing

UNICEF USA supports UNICEF — and other efforts in support of the world's children — through advocacy, education and fundraising in the United States.

UNICEF USA's Impact Fund for Children provides opportunities for social impact investors seeking to make a difference in the survival and development of children.

Learn more about how UNICEF USA's Advocacy team, based in Washington, DC, is speaking up on behalf of the world's children — urging decision-makers in government and other sectors to implement policies and budgets that support and empower them.

Visit the UNICEF USA Action Center to join active advocacy campaigns. When you speak up for children, legislators will listen. 

Visit the UNICEF USA Child Friendly Cities Initiative home page for more about how UUSA is providing a framework to help local government officials prioritize the needs of young people and to elevate their voices in local governance.

Visit the UNICEF Kid Power online hub to learn how this unique philanthropic platform is empowering kids to help their peers around the world — while helping themselves grow stronger mentally, physically and academically.

Visit the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF homepage to connect with others and participate in this legacy event.

Support UNICEF programs by shopping online for unusual, handcrafted goods at the UNICEF Market. Or send lifesaving supplies to kids in need with a UNICEF Inspired Gift.

Stories About Our Mission

Displaced Syrian children help their parents distribute winter clothes from UNICEF at the Al-Hol camp in Hasakah, northeast Syria, on March 2, 2022.
UNICEF to World: Syria's Children Need Help Now
UNICEF appeals for more support to address impacts of over a decade of violent conflict, COVID-19 and economic fallout from war in Ukraine.
Children and young people in Myanmar, like 6-year-old Hlyan Htet, are showing the strains of growing up during the COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest.
Helping Kids Bounce Back From Pandemic Stress and Isolation in Myanmar
UNICEF and partners are expanding mental health services for children and young people in Myanmar.
A baby receives a routine vaccination in a UNICEF-supported health center in Gonzagueville, a suburb of Abidjan, in south Côte d’Ivoire.
Critical Mission for UNICEF: Reaching 'Zero-Dose' Children
Why UNICEF and partners are focused on vaccinating children who have missed out entirely on this essential health service.
On April 11, 2022, a mother and a baby wait at a health post in Ba’adley, IDP Site, Shabelle Zone, Somali Region, Ethiopia.
Catastrophe Looms as Drought Devastates Horn of Africa
1.7 million children require urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. [VIDEO]
18-month-old Sashko plays with his mother, Kateryna, 27, at a UNICEF-supported health center in western Ukraine.
What's Inside a UNICEF Early Childhood Development Kit?
Why UNICEF sends puzzles, puppets and building blocks to children caught in crisis. [VIDEO]
During the pandemic lockdown in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 11-year-old Imran started working 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at a paper recycling shop, making paper bags. He longs to return to school.
In South Asia, the Impacts of School Closures May Last a Lifetime
Pandemic-related school closures have had a profound impact on children's learning & mental well-being. Three children share their stories.
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