10 ways UNICEF helped children around the world in 2025 

In 2025, global instability and complex, ongoing crises in places like Gaza, Sudan and Haiti pushed children’s needs to record levels. An estimated 213 million children needed humanitarian assistance in 2025, up from 183.5 million in 2024. At the same time, global funding cuts meant resources to help children in need dropped severely.  

Despite these challenges, the generosity of supporters like you helped UNICEF continue to be there for children and families all over the world. In 2025, our staff and partners responded to emergencies in over 100 countries, reaching tens of millions of children with critical support, including health care, nutrition, clean water and sanitation, immunisation, education, and child protection. 

Here are 10 ways that UNICEF supported children in Australia and across the globe in 2025. With the help of people like you, we can have even more of an impact for children everywhere in 2026 and beyond. 

1. UNICEF responded to 414 humanitarian emergencies around the world 

When conflict erupts, disasters strike or disease outbreaks spread, children are often the hardest hit. That's why UNICEF is committed to being there before, during and after emergencies, delivering lifesaving support when it is needed most.  

In 2025, UNICEF responded to 414 humanitarian emergencies across 101 countries – more than one emergency every day. Working in over 190 countries and territories, including some of the world's most dangerous and hard-to-reach places, our teams provided urgent support to children and families affected by conflict, climate disasters and health crises. From clean water and healthcare to nutrition, education and child protection, UNICEF helps children survive and recover in the face of crisis. And our commitment doesn't end when the headlines fade. We stay alongside communities for as long as it takes, helping children rebuild their lives and create brighter futures. 

2. More than 255 million children were reached with services to prevent, detect and treat malnutrition 

Good nutrition gives children the chance to grow, thrive, and live to their full potential. Yet millions of children around the world continue to face malnutrition due to a combination of factors, including poverty, conflict, climate shocks and limited access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare. 

In 2025 alone, UNICEF and our partners reached more than 255 million children in 54 countries with services to prevent, detect and treat wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, in 2025. We also reached 423 million children under five in 81 countries with interventions to prevent stunting caused by chronic undernutrition. Through nutrition screening, treatment programmes, support for caregivers and community-based services, UNICEF is helping protect children during their most vulnerable years. At a time when funding cuts threaten to increase rates of child malnutrition around the world, this work is more important than ever.   

3. Over 1.6 billion polio vaccine doses were delivered to children in need  

No child should be at risk of preventable diseases simply because they cannot access the healthcare they need. Thanks to decades of progress, the world is closer than ever to eradicating polio, a disease that was once the leading cause of paralysis among children worldwide.  

Last year, UNICEF and our partners delivered more than 1.6 billion polio vaccine doses to children around the world. As a result of sustained vaccination efforts, global polio cases have declined by 68 per cent since 2022 and by an extraordinary 99.9 per cent since 1988. UNICEF also helps vaccinate around half of the world's children every year, preventing millions of deaths from a range of life-threatening diseases. Yet conflict, misinformation, displacement and funding shortages continue to leave many children unvaccinated. With ongoing support, UNICEF can continue delivering lifesaving vaccines to children, no matter what. 

4. Over 34 million people accessed clean drinking water

Clean water is something many of us take for granted, yet more than one in four people around the world still lack access to safe drinking water. Without clean water, sanitation and good hygiene, children are far more vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and poor health. 

In 2025, UNICEF and our partners helped provide clean drinking water to more than 34 million people worldwide, continuing our role as one of the world's leading providers of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support.  This included installing water and sanitation facilities in schools and health centres, supporting solar-powered water systems in communities affected by conflict and disasters, and strengthening local services to prepare for and respond to crises. During emergencies, UNICEF also delivers safe water and hygiene supplies to affected communities, providing a vital first line of defence against disease, at a time when children are most vulnerable. 

5. More than 27.8 million out‑of‑school children resumed learning

Every child deserves the chance to go to school and learn the knowledge and skills they need to thrive into the future, but for millions of children around the world, education remains out of reach. Last year, UNICEF helped more than 27.8 million out-of-school children in more than 90 countries access educational support. More than half (51 per cent) of that number were girls, who face unique challenges when it comes to learning due to gender discrimination and financial pressures on families – a significant contributor to child marriage.  

In 2025, we launched the Digital Education Strategy, designed to provide education to children across the globe. This strategy, which will be implemented over the next five years, aims to help all children access a quality education, no matter where they live or who they are.  

6. Nearly 10.4 million adolescent girls at risk of child marriage benefited from prevention and care interventions 

Every girl deserves the freedom to learn, grow and choose her own future. Yet child marriage continues to deny millions of girls that opportunity, putting their health, education and wellbeing at risk. While steady progress has been made over the past decade, around one in five girls globally are still married before the age of 18, and conflict, climate shocks and economic hardship threaten to reverse those gains. 

Last year, UNICEF and our partners reached nearly 10.4 million adolescent girls through programs focused on preventing child marriage and supporting girls who were, or were at risk of becoming, child brides. Working alongside communities, schools, healthcare providers and governments, UNICEF is helping to address the root causes of child marriage and create safer futures for girls. Over the past 25 years, these efforts have helped prevent an estimated 68 million child marriages worldwide. 

7. More than 6.5 million children with disabilities accessed disability-inclusive programs 

Every child has the right to participate, learn and thrive. Yet an estimated 240 million children living with disabilities worldwide are often excluded from education, healthcare and other essential services. Many also face stigma and discrimination, making it harder to reach their full potential. 

UNICEF and our partners helped more than 6.5 million children with disabilities across 139 countries access disability-inclusive programs in 2025. This included improving access to inclusive infrastructure, strengthening essential services and increasing the availability of assistive technologies that help children participate more fully in daily life. By embedding inclusion across our programs, UNICEF is working to ensure children with disabilities have the same opportunities as their peers to learn, be heard and contribute to their communities. 

8. More than 3 million vulnerable households received $559 million in humanitarian cash assistance 

When families are caught up in a crisis, they know what they need most. Whether it is food, medicine, transport or other essentials, humanitarian cash transfers – payments made in the form of physical currency or e-cash – give families the flexibility to meet their immediate needs with dignity. 

UNICEF provided $559 million in humanitarian cash assistance to more than 3 million vulnerable households last year, working alongside nearly 50 governments to support families affected by conflict, disasters and other crises. In addition to helping families purchase essential items, cash assistance often represents one of the most efficient forms of humanitarian support, allowing more people to be reached while also supporting local businesses and economies. By placing choice directly in the hands of families, UNICEF is helping communities recover faster, strengthen their resilience and better withstand future shocks. 

9. More than 620,000 women and children were reached through UNICEF Australia’s Priority Programs 

The early years of a child's life are a critical window for growth, learning and development, shaping their health and wellbeing for years to come. That's why UNICEF Australia's Investing in the Early Years Priority Programs focus on giving young children the best possible start in life.  

As highlighted in UNICEF Australia's 2025 annual report, with the help of our local partners, these programs reached more than 620,000 people – predominantly women and young children – across 18 Priority Programs in more than seven countries in 2025. Through integrated, evidence-based approaches, the programs support child survival, early childhood development and early learning, while also driving lasting improvements at a systems level. Significant progress included Fiji endorsing and launching its first National Early Childhood Development Policy, as well as strengthened collaboration across health, education and child protection sectors. Together, these efforts are helping more children thrive during the years that matter most. 

10. Children and young people in 108 countries were empowered to participate in policy development, entrepreneurship and advocacy  

Children and young people have the right to help shape the decisions that affect their lives, communities and futures. UNICEF believes their perspectives are essential to creating lasting change, which is why we work to ensure young people can participate meaningfully in decision-making at every level.  

UNICEF supported meaningful youth participation in 108 countries in 2025, helping children and young people raise their voices on issues that matter most to them. Last year, UNICEF Australia worked with governments, partners and young people to strengthen collective advocacy efforts – shaping reforms on online safety, AI and climate change, and elevating the voices of nearly 7,000 children and young people nationwide. This was achieved through initiatives including UNICEF Australia's Young Ambassadors program, U-Report Australia – UNICEF's digital community for young people – and The State of Australia's Children report, a comprehensive snapshot of children’s wellbeing in Australia.  

Let’s be there for every child 

Together, these achievements represent millions of children reached with critical support, protection and opportunities to thrive. We could not have done it without the generosity of people like you. But for every child UNICEF reached in 2025, many more still remain in urgent need. 

It is only with your support that UNICEF can continue responding to emergencies, protecting children’s rights and helping every child reach their full potential. Together, we can create a safer, healthier and more hopeful future for children everywhere. In 2026 and beyond, let’s be there for every child.