UNICEF U-Report: Empowering Youth Worldwide

A messaging tool for young changemakers

U-Report is a free, user-friendly and anonymous digital messaging tool for young people introduced by UNICEF as part of its core mission protecting the rights of children. The platform allows users to build shared connections, post information and opinions and engage in advocacy to make their voices heard — within their own communities and beyond.

U-Reporters can post their own reports and stories as well as cast votes in polls that help humanitarian organizations and government agencies focus resources more efficiently. In emergencies, U-Report has also proven crucial as a way to disseminate potentially lifesaving information deep into remote regions. A mental health chatbot on the platform also provides tips and suggestions for young people in need.

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U-Report: meeting young people where they are

U-Report has a dedicated app, but it is also designed to integrate with a number of popular and readily available channels, including SMS texting, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Telegram, Viber and WhatsApp to provide easy access on platforms that young people already use.

The tool first launched in Uganda in 2011 as an extension of RapidSMS, a platform that supports communication via mobile phones. RapidSMS remains the best method of connecting with young people in geographically remote and marginalized communities with limited other communication options. 

The technology behind U-Report has continuously improved over the years while its use has spread across Africa and throughout the rest of the world.

As of mid 2025, there were 37 million registered U-Reporters in 102 countries.

Here are some examples of how young people are leveraging U-Report in different countries around the world to benefit their communities.

Assisting the mpox outbreak response in DRC

During the October 2024 mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, U-Report was used to disseminate guidance on containing the spread of the virus and safeguarding local communities from the disease. “To be able to protect themselves, these children have a right to information that can keep them safe from harm,” a UNICEF U-Reporter named Bénédicte said.

Disseminating health information amid violence in Haiti 

In the midst of prolonged political turmoil and armed violence, U-Reporters in Haiti reached almost half a million people with essential health, nutrition, immunization and hygiene information in 2024. 



"I am able to advise people confidently," said Merline, a 20-year-old Haitian U-Reporter. "People now wash their hands regularly; parents who haven’t yet vaccinated their children bring their children to be vaccinated. Children who used to be violent have become calmer, and violence against children has significantly decreased. We consider these as real successes for us."

Supporting emergency relief in Indonesia

In Indonesia, in the aftermath of the September 2018 earthquake and tsunami, U-Report helped disseminate lifesaving information to affected areas. The platform was also used to track water distribution points in Palu and to allow communities to respond to government agencies with feedback on resources received.

Connecting refugees and migrants to services in Italy

Launched in 2016, U-Report On The Move in Italy has proved a critical resource for refugees and migrants making a new home in the country with services like access to information on legal rights and real-time evaluation of program interventions.



When the COVID-19 pandemic hit a few years later, an online mental health and psychosocial support service called Here4U was integrated into the U-Report on the Move platform, providing some immediate help when needed and guidance on longer-term solutions.



“Some of these people may have pre-existing mental health challenges, while others face acute distress after their journeys to safety,” said Yodit Estifanos Afewerki, U-Report Manager, UNCIEF EDCARO. “Here4U provides the immediate support they need and connects them with long-term professional care.

Empowering youth in Moldova

In Moldova, an estimated 10,000 young people signed up for an initiative called “Your Voice Matters!” in April 2023. The U-Report platform was utilized to empower the participants to participate in decision making within their local schools and communities. Those U-Reporters were also invited to help build a “U-Report Garden” in the capital city of Chisinau, a project that led to the planting of 1,000 new trees.



“Participating in the project made me feel like an important and respected community member whose opinions and ideas have real weight,” said one of the participants, a 17-year-old U-Reporter named Maria.

Connecting families in Nigeria

In Nigeria, U-Report was implemented across three of the country’s northeastern states in 2018 to reach people displaced by the armed conflict plaguing the country. Because mobile phones provided the only means of communication for many, the free SMS messaging platform offered a valuable way to initiate a two-way flow of information.



"The information helps me be a better mother,” said one Nigerian participant, a young mother. “I started boiling my water before giving it to my children. Now, we do it all the time for everyone. But also, I share with other mothers who don’t have phones or don’t know about this program.”

Learn more about how to join the U-Report digital community.

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