Every day, UNICEF workers brave war zones, treacherous terrain, disasters and disease to make the world safe for kids. UNICEF provided emergency treatment to nearly 3.4 million severely malnourished children last year.
Kids need UNICEF now more than ever:
- Globally, malnutrition is linked to nearly half the deaths of children under age 5
- About 149 million children under five suffer from stunting and chronic malnutrition
- In 2018, 12.8 million people were at risk of food insecurity and acute malnutrition, a 30 percent increase over 2017
- It’s not just children who are malnourished. Mothers and pregnant women aren't getting the nutrition they need to ensure that their babies develop properly in the womb and are born at a healthy weight
- Conflict and economic shocks have created a food crisis in Yemen. Only 15 percent of children eat the minimum acceptable diet they need to survive, grow and develop; 360,000 suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a potentially deadly but treatable condition
- UNICEF promotes exclusive breastfeeding, a practice that could save the lives of an estimated 800,000 children under 5
- The human suffering caused by malnutrition is immense. The economic costs are staggering, too. It is projected that undernutrition will reduce Gross Domestic Product by up to 11 percent in Africa and Asia
“I am a doctor. I am a mother,” is how Jacqueline Tchebemou describes herself. She is also a physician at the Central African Republic’s only pediatric hospital, where she’s working to save as many severely malnourished children as she can.
How many children can you save today?
$25 can give 32 kids nutritious food to help them survive and thrive.
Why donate to UNICEF? It's a smart way to make your money go further for children:
- UNICEF is a leader: When emergencies strike, UNICEF spearheads the work to provide nutrition to children who need it most
- UNICEF tackles the root causes of the problems children face. Breast milk protects babies from disease and malnutrition. Last year in South Sudan, UNICEF counseled 950,000 moms and caregivers about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. Now 74 percent of babies 5 months old and under are breastfed
- UNICEF prevents and treats: In 2018, UNICEF provided 200 million packets of micronutrient powders (MNPs) to safeguard children from disease and cognitive delays
- UNICEF has the contacts to get the job done. UNICEF has the reputation — with everyone from high-level government officials to those on the ground helping children — to rally all the stakeholders needed to fight global malnutrition
- UNICEF works with national governments to end malnutrition: UNICEF is helping countries strengthen national legislation to prevent all forms of malnutrition; 49 governments now have a national strategy to prevent stunting
- UNICEF gets results: In 2018, 82% of the 4.1 million children UNICEF treated for severe acute malnutrition recovered
- UNICEF works wonders: UNICEF procures between 75 and 80 percent of the world’s Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, a nutrient-packed nut paste that is UNICEF’s go-to for bringing children who are severely acutely malnourished back to good health
Meet the UNICEF workers helping kids around the world
UNICEF: saving and changing lives
Meet Gift. He lives in South Sudan, where hunger is a daily reality for families. Roughly 860,000 children under 5 are estimated to be acutely malnourished — 259,000 kids severely so
Meet more children helped by UNICEF
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