Our Mission

7-month-old Kumbaba is carried by his mother, Oumou Sy, and accompanied by a health worker at the UNICEF-supported nutrition centre in Kaédi Hospital, in the city of Kaédi in the southern Gorgol Region.
Mauritania
UNICEF/NYHQ2012-0465/MIA BRANDT

Putting children first all over the world

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s
lives than any other humanitarian organization by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.

UNICEF USA supports UNICEF’s work through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States. Together, we are working
toward the day when no children die from preventable causes, and every child has a safe and healthy childhood.

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Be the first to know about UNICEF's relief efforts in times of emergency.

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It takes Aysha, 13-years old, 8 hours each day, round trip, to collect water for herself and her family in Afar, Ethiopia.
How Long Does It Take to Get Water? For Aysha, Eight Hours a Day
Worldwide, women and girls spend 200 million hours every day collecting water.
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child survival
Child Survival
UNICEF has helped save more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization.
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emergency relief
Emergency Relief
UNICEF is the leader in responding to disasters affecting children.
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Zahira, 2, eats from a packet of RUTF, a high protein, vitamin-rich, peanut paste for malnourished children
The Malnutrition Miracle: What Is Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food?
The specially formulated peanut paste is nothing short of a miracle for malnourished children.
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Fast Fact
45
%
UNICEF helps immunize 45 percent of the world’s children.
+
50
%
UNICEF's lifesaving interventions have helped cut child deaths by more than 50% since 1990.
16
thousand
Despite progress, 16,000 children still die every day from causes we can prevent.
190
UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories to save and protect children.
300
emergencies
Every year, UNICEF responds to more than 300 emergencies — from conflicts to natural disasters.
48
hours
UNICEF can ship lifesaving supplies to children almost anywhere in the world within 48 hours.
100
UNICEF works in more than 100 countries to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities
12
million
UNICEF implemented over 12 million diagnosis tests to prevent child deaths from malaria.
750
thousand
More than 750,000 people receive updates on UNICEF's lifesaving work. Stay informed: join our list!

What the UNICEF USA is Doing

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

Where UNICEF Works

UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories all over the world. Here are a few regions where UNICEF has focused its work recently.

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What UNICEF is Doing

Saving Children's Lives
Building Children's Futures
Emergency Relief

Stories About Our Mission

Students attending class in an Islamic school in Biankouma, a village in western Côte d'Ivoire.
A Place to Learn
UNICEF is helping children in 155 countries get the quality education they deserve. Here, a look at classrooms around the world.
Fleeing deteriorating social and economic conditions at home in Venezuela, 11-year-old Nataly* and her family made the long journey on foot through Colombia to start a new life Ecuador.
A Step Closer to Adulthood, Along a Cold Highway
On a freezing journey from Venezuela, hardship and hope for a migrant family.
For parents who must choose between putting food on the table or heating their tent, the UNICEF shipment of winter clothes to 3,000 Syrian refugee children is a lifesaver
UNICEF Winter Clothes Help Syrian Children Weather the Cold
For parents who must choose between putting food on the table and heating their family's tent, the winter gear shipment was a lifesaver.
On 16 August 2018 in the Central African Republic, Pierre Mbassissi returns with his father for his follow up outpatient treatment at the Centre de Santé Saint Joseph, on the outskirts of Bangui.
A Malnourished Toddler's Recovery in Central African Republic
Once severely malnourished and near death, 3-year-old Pierre bounced back to life thanks to UNICEF and the miracle of therapeutic food.
UNICEF, Central African Republic
An Escalating Crisis in Central African Republic
A resurgence of brutal violence has devastated CAR. Children and families are in urgent need of protection and humanitarian aid.
Having lost her husband, home and belongings to the conflict in Syria, Najla struggles to provide for her four children
War in Syria Took Her Husband but Not Her Children or Will To Survive
Motherhood is a struggle in Syria. But even after her husband's death, Najla refuses to let loss stand in the way of her children's future.
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