Providing mental health and psychosocial support to children and young people
One in seven young people are likely to struggle with mental health challenges. Living through conflicts and disasters in countries like Afghanistan, Sudan and Ukraine can have a devastating impact on children’s well-being and compromise their social, emotional and cognitive development. For children in crisis, UNICEF prioritizes psychosocial support through health facilities, mobile clinics, schools, informal learning centers and child-friendly spaces. In 2023, UNICEF reached 34.7 million children and caregivers with mental health and psychosocial support services.
Learn more about UNICEF’s innovative strategies for supporting youth mental health >>
As families in Ukraine prepare for a bitter cold winter and freezing temperatures, UNICEF is providing vital cash assistance
Since the escalation of the war in Ukraine, more and more people – including 3.3 million displaced people, 564,000 of which are children – have struggled to meet their immediate needs and rebuild their lives. The war has taken a severe toll on children, many of whom have missed out on education opportunities and been forced to cut back on food consumption. To help these families prepare for what will be the harshest winter since the start of the war, UNICEF is providing humanitarian cash assistance to families like Tetiana’s, to help them purchase food, fuel, boots and warm blankets.
Learn more about UNICEF's efforts to help Ukraine's children and families before winter >>
Providing physical, mental and social support to children in Lebanon and the Middle East
With the escalation of hostility and violence across the Middle East, hundreds of thousands of people in Lebanon have faced displacement, uncertainty and homelessness, including an estimated 400,000 children forced from their homes. Despite the devastating psychological toll, children like 13-year-old Mohammad remain hopeful: “I say, don’t be afraid. Because when the war ends, we’ll return to our homes and our schools.” UNICEF is on the ground, rushing to meet children’s urgent needs by providing water and hygiene kits, connecting families with health care services, delivering critical protection services to children and more.
Lebanon's children seek hope amid enormous need – read more >>
Strengthening social protection for women and girls worldwide
Women and girls have been left out of advocacy and decision-making spaces for far too long — until now. We Deserve Better, a new UNICEF initiative, consults feminist, women- and girl-led organizations in different countries to explore their experiences and encourage participation in designing and implementing social protection systems. By empowering women and girls to shape these efforts from the start, effective and sustainable social protection systems can be created to promote gender equality and equitably advance human development as a right.
Read more on UNICEF’s work to make social protection gender inclusive >>
With the holiday season quickly approaching, there are many ways you can support children through the rest of the year:
For every dollar spent, 89 cents goes directly toward helping children. We spend about 9 cents on fundraising costs and just under 2 cents on administration. When you give to UNICEF USA, you can trust that your generosity will transform into relief and resources for children in need around the world.
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