Hope in action: what we can achieve together

As political shifts, economic uncertainty and deepening humanitarian crises play out on our screens and social feeds, it’s hard not to feel that the world is in a fragile place with children paying the heaviest price. Displacement has reached record highs, climate-induced disasters are pushing entire communities to the brink, and in war-torn countries like Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine, children are enduring distressing events and trauma no child should ever face.  

While global attention often lingers on the most widely reported crises, hundreds of other emergencies continue to unfold in silence. In countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Sudan, Yemen, and Myanmar, children are living through violence, hunger, and instability.  

Yet, even in the face of these grim realities, our global community of supporters and UNICEF teams, come together to make a lasting impact for children.

Reaching every child, everywhere 

Every day, UNICEF works to reach children and their families, even in the most remote and dangerous corners of the world. The impact of our work in 2024 is a powerful reminder that when our supporters and our teams around the world come together, we can create lasting change for children and families, here in the Asia Pacific, and beyond. 

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our people like you, here are 10 powerful ways we have made a difference to the lives of children in 2024.

• Conflicts, climate shocks, and disease outbreaks – in 2024, UNICEF responded to 448 emergencies in 104 countries.
• UNICEF delivered over 1.5 billion polio vaccine doses to 87 countries, contributing to a nearly 25 per cent reduction in global polio cases between 2023 and 2024.
• Over 26 million out-of-school children and adolescents – including 9 million in humanitarian settings and 3.7 million children on the move – accessed UNICEF-supported education programs. 

• UNICEF provided over 33 million people with access to safe water, 18 million people with basic sanitation services, and more than 21 million with basic hygiene services. 
• Across 110 countries, 6.2 million children who experienced violence received UNICEF-supported health, social work, justice or law enforcement services, a 36 per cent increase from 2023. 
• Around 17.1 million children and adolescents were reached with UNICEF Australia-supported mental health activities and services across the Asia Pacific. 
• UNICEF Australia helped vaccinate over 53,000 people in the Asia Pacific region to keep them safe from preventable diseases.  

• Over 2.9 million people across Australia were reached with awareness about the importance of birth registration. UNICEF Australia helped young Aussies register their births, unlocking access to healthcare, education, and child protection services. 
• More than 762,000 people were reached through 37 UNICEF Australia-supported programs across the Asia Pacific region, focusing on areas such as child protection, early childhood development, immunisation, and nutrition. 
• In partnership with e-Smart, an initiative of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, UNICEF Australia developed digital literacy resources that have been accessed by more than 13,000 students around Australia. These resources equip kids aged 10-12 with the skills they need online, including critical thinking and how to spot mis- or disinformation.

For almost 80 years, UNICEF has been delivering for the world’s children. 

With our global footprint and strong partnerships with communities, local and grassroots organisations, and governments, we do what few others can – respond to crises quickly while building long-term development solutions.  

Year after year, UNICEF continues to show up for the world’s children by;

• being active in more than 190 countries and territories, we draw on a vast network of skilled and committed staff and partners.  
• running the world’s largest humanitarian warehouse and a network of 220 supply hubs around the world.  
• supporting health centres where 1 in 4 babies around the world are born. 
• vaccinating half the world’s children under five against preventable diseases like polio, diphtheria and measles. 
• being the world’s largest provider of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), we ensure that children suffering from severe malnutrition can receive treatment. 
• being the largest provider of water, sanitation and hygiene services, with programs in more than 100 countries that provide over 35 million people with access to safe water every year. 

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UNICEF's annual results

All around the world, UNICEF delivers real results – tangible, lasting change that uplifts children and entire communities. But we don’t do it alone. It takes a collective effort, a shared vision, and unwavering support from people like you. Whether through financial support, resources or advocacy, your involvement makes all the difference.   

With your direct support, on average over the past three years, 78 per cent of the funds raised by UNICEF Australia have gone directly to international and domestic programs and emergency response that benefit children, as well as supporting vital advocacy work. An additional 15 per cent has been invested in fundraising activities that generate further impact for children, while just 7 per cent has covered essential administrative costs, including staff, finance, and legal services.