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UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND

• Every day, on average, more than 26,000 children under the age of five die, most of them from preventable causes.
  
• The number of children of primary school age who are not attending school fell by nearly 20 per cent, from an estimated 115 million in 2002 to an estimated 93 million in 2006.
  
• Worldwide, some 86 per cent of primary-school-age children attend school. In developing countries, this figure is 84 per cent.
  
• Worldwide, more than 60 million women aged 20-24 were married before they reached the age of 18. The extent of child marriage varies substantially between countries, but about half of the girls who are affected live in South Asia.
  
• As of 2005, an estimated 15.2 million children worldwide had lost one or both parents to AIDS. Some 80 per cent of these children live in sub-Saharan Africa. It is estimated that by 2010 more than 20 million children will have been orphaned by AIDS.
  
• One in six children 5–14 years old in the world, or 158 million children, is involved in child labour.
  
• Some 1.5 billion children - two thirds of the world's child population - live in the 42 countries affected by violent, high-intensity conflict between 2002 and 2006.

Child Survival today

Two year old Fatma, is one of the thousands of Kenyan children whose lives have been saved by a cheap and simple preventive health measure.

In Kenya today, many more children than before are surviving one of the country's biggest killers, malaria. The mass distribution of insecticide-treated bednets in Kenya has halved deaths from malaria in the past five years. Its success is part of a range of community-based health programmes that, UNICEF believes, hold the key to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing child mortality by two-thirds - and achieving other MDGs - by 2015.

"The world has seen progress in child survival and with the right partnerships, policies and programmes, even more can be achieved," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "The challenge is to reach the millions of children and families who continue to go without adequate, preventative and curative care."

Children who work

For over seven months, eight-year-old Khairuddin and his brothers have been roaming the streets of Abbotabad in Pakistan, collecting empty bottles from garbage heaps to make a little money to bring home to their family.

Khairuddin's house in Muzaffarabad collapsed during the 8 October 2005 earthquake that killed over 73,000 people. Following the earthquake, many families like Khairuddin's were forced to migrate to urban areas in search of a better life. Many youths ended up as street children, often taking on exploitative jobs as child labourers.

In addition to being denied education, children who work are frequent victims of maltreatment, physical and psychological violence or abuse by supervisors, co-workers and outsiders.

UNICEF's efforts to protect children from child labour and other forms of exploitation focus on creating a protective environment for children by developing and facilitating the necessary services, information and skills children need to prevent and respond to abuse, and all forms of discrimination.

Child Soldiers

UNICEF's first Advocate for Children Affected by War, Ishmael Beah, has pledged to give a voice and hope to children whose lives have been scarred by violence. Ishmael was forcibly recruited as a child soldier in Sierra Leone when he was 13. UNICEF helped him escape the conflict and become rehabilitated. Since then Ishmael has completed his education, began advocating for children's rights and is the author the best-selling book, 'A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier'.

"Ishmael Beah speaks on behalf of young people around the world whose lives have been scarred by violence, deprivation and other violations of their rights," said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman. "He is an eloquent symbol of hope for young victims of violence, as well as those working to demobilize and rehabilitate children caught up in armed conflict."

His new role as a UNICEF Advocate will be to make sure that children are given hope for the future, and that they do not become a "lost generation," he said.

"It's about children who do not have the voice to speak," Mr. Beah explained. "We're trying to give them that voice. And through my capacity I hope we can bring that voice alive."

UNICEF and youth: Working together

The year 2007 marked the five-year anniversary celebration of the UN plan of action, 'A World Fit For Children' - a commitment by world leaders to protect and promote child rights. It was also in year in which UNICEF further expanded its efforts to empower children and let their voices be heard.

In December, 'A World Fit For Children Plus 5' - the follow-up meeting to the 2002 UN General Assembly Special Session on Children - gathered together more than 90 youth participants from over 50 countries to act as representatives of their respective governments and non-governmental organizations. Child delegates from many countries got the chance to speak at United Nations headquarters in New York City and attend roundtable events.

"I'm happy because at least we're going to talk about something that we all feel passionate about," said Galaletsang Matlhaga, a youth delegate from Botswana. "We are here to achieve a goal that is to get a better world for children."

During the UN meeting, UNICEF asked children to voice their opinions about the world they live in and the work UNICEF is doing, as the organization continues working to get young people involved in identifying their own unique needs.

UNICEF in Brief

Some basic facts:

• UNICEF was established on 11 December 1946 by the UN to meet the emergency needs of children in post-war Europe and China.
  
• It is the first international organization created solely to care for the world's children.
  
• In 1950, its mandate was broadened to address the long-term needs of children and mothers in developing countries everywhere.
  
• UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.
• The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.
• UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Three United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
USA
Tel.: (1-212) 326-7000
Website:http://www.unicef.org

Select an Agency Foreword UN Secretariat UNICEF UNCTAD UNDP UNEP UNFPA ODCCP WFP UNRWA UNHCR ILO FAO UNESCO ICAO WHO World Bank IMF UPU ITU WMO IMO WIPO IFAD UNIDO IAEA