Millions of children from Ukraine and Syria to Sudan and the Pacific face devastating losses and uncertain futures.
Children in emergencies often lose their homes, school and their loved ones. Their access to food, water and healthcare is affected, and although parents and caregivers are doing all they can to keep their children safe, devastatingly, many children are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
We can’t stop emergencies from happening, but we can ensure that more children survive. That means being on the ground, delivering life-saving support during emergencies and being there long after a crisis has struck to help restore vital health and nutrition programs.
"Today, there are more children in need of humanitarian assistance than at any other time in recent history."
Every year, UNICEF responds to hundreds of emergencies, delivering life-saving care, safeguarding children’s rights and protecting them from harm.
An unprecedented number of humanitarian emergencies are unfolding around the world, from conflicts to public health crises to devastating natural disasters. We must continue to be there before, during and after emergencies for all children who need us, but we need your help to reach every child.
Help Children in Emergencies
Share your hope for a child’s future. Make your end of financial year tax-deductible donation before 30 June to provide children with the essential healthcare, nutrition and clean water they need to survive in an emergency.
Why give your tax-deductible donation to UNICEF this end of financial year?
A world leading children’s charity since 1946, UNICEF has helped save more lives than any other humanitarian organisation. From emergency relief to long-term development solutions, UNICEF is 100 per cent donor funded.
Every day, we are working to ensure children are vaccinated, educated and protected, and we advocate for the rights of every child while helping to elevate their voices. And during times of emergency, UNICEF acts quickly, delivering life-saving help to children in just 48 hours.
But we need your help to do more.
An unfolding emergency: escalating conflict in Sudan
As violence continues in Sudan, an estimated 82,000 children have fled to neighbouring countries and approximately 368,000 more are newly displaced inside the country. Children and their families who remain trapped in the crossfire of Sudan’s escalating conflict, are terrified about the fighting and the possibility of running out of food, water and medicine. As of 25 April, over 190 children have been killed and more than 1800 children injured, while tens of thousands of people are fleeing, seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, such as Chad, Central African Republic and Egypt.
UNICEF is working with our partners to deliver water, emergency health kits, essenktial supplies and medicines to hospitals and primary healthcare centres. UNICEF is also in Chad, providing humanitarian relief to children and their families.
Even before the conflict, humanitarian needs in Sudan were dire.
Before the escalating conflict began in April 2023, more than 8.5 million children in Sudan already required humanitarian assistance. Children faced many complex challenges – malnutrition, disease outbreak, child protection and access to quality education, healthcare and routine vaccinations.
Sadly, Sudan has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world. The crisis has disrupted life-saving treatment for an estimated 50,000 children suffering severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and who are currently enrolled in treatment programs. With 16 of the 34 hospitals in Khartoum having been destroyed and the rest damaged, children’s survival is at higher risk.
Even before the current crisis, 7 million children were not in school. School closures have forced millions out of their classrooms. This not only exacerbates the learning crisis in Sudan, where 70 per cent of ten-year-olds are unable to read. Devastatingly, school closure also removes a protective environment for children against physical and mental threats such as exploitation, abuse, and involuntary recruitment into armed groups.
UNICEF’s priority is to provide safe passage and protection for children and their families.
Around the world, we are always there for children during times of crisis
Children around the world are facing a deadly mix of crises, from conflict and displacement to disease outbreaks and soaring rates of malnutrition. Alongside our partners, UNICEF is working around the clock to help children and families impacted by emergencies.
Disease Prevention
In countries like Ukraine and Syria, access to medical services and vaccines can be challenging and dangerous, leaving children vulnerable to preventable, life-threatening diseases.
Nutrition
Children in countries like Somalia, Afghanistan and Timor-Leste face the constant threat of malnutrition, which can have lifelong impacts on their physical and cognitive development.
Clean Water
For many children in emergencies, a lack of access to clean water can affect their health and nutrition and expose them to the threat of waterborne diseases such as cholera.
Help Children in Emergencies
Share your hope for a child’s future. Make your end of financial year tax-deductible donation before 30 June to provide children with the essential healthcare, nutrition and clean water they need to survive in an emergency.
How will my donation help children?
Your gift today will help our teams on the ground reach more children in urgent need in places like Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Ukraine and other countries experiencing crises. Tax-deductible donations like yours could help provide pathways to access clean water for an entire community.
- $85 could help provide a Vaccine Pack so 233 children can be protected from preventable disease.
- $142 could help provide 252 sachets of Plumpy’Nut®, a therapeutic peanut paste, to help save the lives of two children.
- $492 could help provide access to clean water for an entire community.
- 82¢last year, 82 cents of every dollar donated went to our emergency response work in the field and helped us to be there for children before, during and after emergencies around the world.
- 18¢last year, 18 cents in every dollar were invested in raising public awareness; fundraising to grow our impact for children and in essential accountability and administration work.
How do we use each dollar donated?
