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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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
Last year, UNICEF responded to nearly 300 humanitarian emergencies, many of them still ongoing.
72
hours
UNICEF can ship lifesaving supplies to children anywhere in the world within 48 to 72 hours.
100
UNICEF works in more than 100 countries to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities.
1
billion
Since 2000, UNICEF has distributed 1 billion insecticide-treated bed nets across Africa.

What 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

Elementary school student Arkan, 9, (right) studying at home while keeping a distance from his sister, Siwi, during the COVID-19 outbreak in Jakarta, Indonesia on March 29, 2020.
'A Child's Right to an Education Does Not Change Because of a Crisis'
With schools closed in 188 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF is working to make sure students keep learning and stay healthy.
Badly damaged buildings are pictured near Vanuatu's capital of Port Vila on April 7, 2020, after Tropical Cyclone Harold swept past and hit islands to the north.
Category 5 Cyclone Harold Hits Vanuatu
The slow-moving storm is battering an island nation already in a state of emergency due to COVID-19.
On the morning of March 18, 2020, 8-year-old Luka plays with stuffed animals in between completing school exercises on his third day of distance learning from home in Connecticut, while his mother, Sophia, works on her computer.
COVID-19 and the U.S. Crisis of Care
The coronavirus outbreak underscores the importance of family-friendly policies in the United States.
On March 18, 2020, a playground at an elementary school in Ridgefield, Connecticut, USA, sits empty following temporary school closures for COVID-19 made effective on March 13.
Protecting the Most Vulnerable Children During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Crises put children and youth at greater risk of abuse and neglect. Here's how UNICEF partner ICOY is standing up for those in need.
Sent from UNICEF's supply warehouse in Copenhagen, a shipment of more than 3 metric tons of supplies needed to fight the coronavirus arrived in Tehran, Iran on March 5, 2020.
UNICEF Rushes Vital Supplies to Help Countries Fight Coronavirus
Despite extreme market pressure, UNICEF is procuring and shipping essential supplies including personal protective equipment.
Ana and Kaja, 7-year-old twins from North Macedonia, have been learning at home since the government temporarily closed all schools in response to the spread of COVID-19.
'Children Are the Hidden Victims of This Pandemic'
Lockdowns and school closures heighten the risks of child exploitation and abuse. UNICEF's guidance on keeping kids safe.
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