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

Working to make the world better for children

The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work, and other efforts in support of the world's children, through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States.

UNICEF does whatever it takes to save and protect the world's most vulnerable children. Forty years ago, UNICEF figured out that promoting simple, low-cost interventions like hand washing and breastfeeding could save millions of lives. Undaunted by war or geography, UNICEF delivers.

Stay Informed

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

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
40
%
UNICEF helped immunize 40 percent of the world’s children in 2014.
+
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.
250
emergencies
Every year, UNICEF responds to more than 250 emergencies—from conflicts to natural disasters.
72
hours
UNICEF can deliver lifesaving supplies to children almost anywhere in the world within 72 hours.
100
UNICEF works in more than 100 countries to improve access to safe water and sanitation facilities
750
thousand
More than 750,000 people receive updates on UNICEF's lifesaving work. Stay informed: join our list!

What the U.S. Fund is Doing

The U.S. Fund 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.

What UNICEF is Doing

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

Stories About Our Mission

Hurricane Matthew Poses a Threat to Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba.
Hurricane Matthew Intensifies, Threatening Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica
The impact of the powerful Category 4 storm may be felt as soon as Sunday night.
UNICEF nutritionist Dr Rajia Sharhan says, “We had not been able to enter Madaya since late April. I was in here in January, when children were starving, and when despite our frantic efforts we watched one young man die right before our eyes.”
Syria Under Siege: A Convoy Gets Through to a Town Under Attack
UNICEF Syria's Mirna Yacoub rode with the inter-agency convoy delivering desperately-needed humanitarian aid.
Children of Aleppo Are Trapped in a "Living Nightmare"
Medical staff in Aleppo are trying to save the lives of children in unimaginable circumstances.
U.S. Fund for UNICEF CEO Caryl Stern holding a child in Guatemala
Our CEO Has a Message for the Next U.S. President
Put children first and take on a crisis that now affects nearly 50 million children.
It’s International Day of Peace and Our Children Deserve Better
For International Day of Peace, we owe it to the world’s children to prevent, reduce, and respond to violence.
UNICEF speaks with displaced mothers and children living in make-shift tents and shelters in the neighborhood of Majabel, western Aleppo city, Syria.
"We Honor Their Work Best by Carrying On"
Despite a new wave of deadly attacks, UNICEF remains committed to providing Syrian children with critical aid.
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