Thanks to you, we were able to write many small and big success stories this past year. We would like to share some of them with you.
In these times, your help is especially critical: conflicts, climate change and economic uncertainties threaten the lives of millions of children around the world. These challenges also jeopardize the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are meant to dramatically improve the lives of all people by 2030.
In spite of these crises, UNICEF, with your help, is not giving up. We firmly believe that a better and more peaceful world is possible. For this, a holistic approach that combats the causes of crises is needed. And in particular people like you, who act courageously and decisively. Many thanks for joining us in our efforts to create a better world. For every child.
In 2023, for example, your support allowed us to provide:
Your donation makes a long-term difference. Here are four examples:
Many children are subject to violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect from an early age. In Sierra Leone, around 86 percent of children between the ages of 1 and 14 have experienced physical and/or psychological violence. There were almost no protection or support services for them just a few years ago. In 2021, there were only 53 recognized social workers in the country.
Today, things are different: Working with the government, UNICEF was able to create the basis for a functioning and sustainable system to protect children. Today, there are 193 social workers in Sierra Leone, supported by a digital system that provides quick and effective assistance. More than 675,000 children received protective services in the last five years.
One of those children is Adama. When she was eight years old, Adama was sexually abused by her teacher in school during lunch break. The experience left deep scars: anxiety, shame and emotional distress. With UNICEF’s support, Adama receives long-term psychological care and protection. Today, she’s doing much better. She feels safer, is slowing regaining trust and looks to the future with confidence. Her story shows that children in Sierra Leone are no longer alone. UNICEF will not give up until every child is safe.
Vani (5) smiles proudly for the camera while she demonstrates the handwashing practice that she recently learned in her school in the village of Mohlai in Durg District, Chhattisgarh. A practice that can save lives.
Just a few years ago, many children in India were dying from diseases that could have been prevented through simple hygienic practices. UNICEF partnered with the Indian government to support one of the largest drinking water and sanitation campaigns in the world: 110 million new toilets, better sanitary facilities for 550 million people and clean drinking water for 580 million people across the country. These measures contributed greatly to the child mortality rate falling by 37 percent between 2014 and 2022. In 2014, about 46 in 1,000 children did not survive past their first year of life; in 2022 that number had fallen to 29. Today, Vani and millions of other children in India have the chance to grow up healthier and happier.
More than 400,000 children with disabilities still do not attend school. Accessible buildings, trained staff and appropriate learning materials are often lacking. Only three percent of schools are accessible, and most secondary schools don’t have teachers trained in inclusive education.
UNICEF is taking important steps to give children with disabilities better access to education: 14 provinces in Vietnam now have inclusive education centers which prepare children to attend school and support their families. New technologies like virtual reality modules are being used, promoting concentration and development.
Uyen (9) is an example of how this support works. When she arrived at the center in Hoa Nhon, she could barely speak or walk and was afraid of other children. Today, she paints, sings, practices her handwriting and is making great progress. Her teacher, Nguyen, is confident of her potential: “If she keeps working hard, she will soon be able to attend an integrative school.”
Devastating violence, natural disasters and outbreaks of disease have ravaged the country – and it’s the children who suffer the most.
Darline (3) was severely malnourished and so weak that she could barely speak or walk. Today, in the arms of her young aunt, Charline, in front of the UNICEF-supported health center Afya Keshero in Goma, she eats the therapeutic special food that brings strength to her tiny body. Her energy returns with each passing day, her eyes become more alert, and she is gradually becoming the happy child that she had been before.
UNICEF supports a large-scale nutrition campaign in Goma and Karisimbi to help children like Darline. There, helpers go from door to door to identify children with malnutrition and provide them with treatment if needed. At the same time, health centers were provided with funding to provide no-cost, lifesaving treatment for malnourished children.
This help is making a difference: In 2024, over 1,700 health centers were able to continue to successfully treat more than 129,000 children for severe malnutrition. For children like Darline, this means a second chance at having good health, a childhood and hope for the future.
The five strengths of UNICEF. Thanks to non-specific donations.
UNICEF is very proud of its experts, who have in-depth knowledge and extensive networks of trusted contacts. UNICEF appreciates the trust placed in its staff by donors, governments and partners, and of course by children and their families. Your donation allows us to fund these specialized staff members, who contribute their expertise to our programs in order to make them more effective and sustainable.
Non-specific donations mean we can continue to drive innovation. UNICEF implements scalable measures in more than 190 countries, adapting them to each country’s precise needs. If they are successful, we can roll them out in additional countries and further optimize them on both a regional and a global level.
UNICEF drives progress through investment in research and development. Our Innocenti research center in Florence, Italy, allows us to plan far into the future. Data on children’s wellbeing from nearly every country in the world feeds into this important work. It is only through this that we are able to develop innovative and sustainable solutions thanks to the vast knowledge gained from over 75 years of experience.
Children are at the heart of UNICEF’s work: We work to ensure their survival, defend their rights and help them achieve their full potential, from early childhood through to adolescence. At every stage of their growth, we ensure that they grow up healthy, protected and able to go to school. Non-specific donations allow us to stay on the ground for the long term, no matter what happens.
In a crisis situation, every second is critical. UNICEF teams can respond especially quickly on the ground because we are already in the country before a disaster strikes and thus benefit from the skills, equipment and relationships already in place. This allows us to provide immediate aid in the event of a disaster without the need for lengthy travel. Children’s suffering does not end once a crisis is over and media attention subsides. UNICEF is there to help with reconstruction. The long-term support of our donors allows us to stay on the ground for as long as children need us.
