According to data from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), many children suffer from malnutrition, lack access to healthcare, are threatened by war, and lack protection. This was the reality faced by children around the world in 1946, following World War II. However, as times have progressed, the goal has been to create a peaceful and prosperous world for children—especially for those living in poverty, facing inequality, social exclusion, and significant disparities in access to services, as well as those affected by disasters. It is recognized that these conditions can be improved, particularly for children around the world who are experiencing them. How can this be done? Is it possible? The answer is a resounding yes. For the sake of the world’s children, an international agency under the United Nations (UN) established the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) worldwide. It was in this year that the UN founded UNICEF to further symbolize post-war aid, regardless of the role their countries played in the war. Amid the post-war ruins and global challenges affecting millions of people, UNICEF operates to protect the rights and ensure the well-being of all children—whoever they are, wherever they are—without discrimination and regardless of social status.
Therefore, in 1953, UNICEF was made a permanent organization and its name was changed from the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund to the United Nations Children’s Fund—with the words “International” and “Emergency” removed—while retaining the acronym UNICEF. At the same time, its mission was expanded to address the needs of children in various countries.
UNICEF is an international organization that operates as the successor to the UN’s International Children’s Emergency Fund and is responsible for providing humanitarian aid and development assistance to children worldwide. Currently, UNICEF operates the world’s largest humanitarian warehouse and oversees its logistics network.
Day after day, UNICEF’s partners and staff tirelessly assist and support the organization; day and night, they dedicate their time to helping others. With more than 17,000 staff serving worldwide, UNICEF is committed to providing resources, time, and effort to create an environment where children can grow up well, healthy, and educated with equal opportunities, thereby achieving the goal of brightening the future of children worldwide. “When we look back, we reflect on the achievements and challenges that have taught us to persevere; when we look ahead, we reaffirm our commitment to realizing the rights and responsibilities of every child—a commitment that ensures we never give up on our efforts.” That is the perspective of UNICEF staff
In more than 190 countries and territories, UNICEF has been helping and safeguarding the rights of every child in the world. As an impartial, neutral, and non-political organization, UNICEF focuses exclusively on children. Its programs collaborate with various sectors to secure funding, ensure sustainable planning, and deliver comprehensive services—primarily to advocate for and provide equality, health care, education, and the long-term sustainability of these initiatives.
As time goes on, an ever-increasing number of children worldwide are subjected to various forms of inappropriate treatment, ranging from violence to cruel exploitation. Not only that, they are affected by disasters, separated from their families, or even forced to live on their own from the start due to conflict; they are also victims of human trafficking, forced into hard labor, subjected to sexual abuse, and exposed to physical or verbal violence—all of which can threaten children’s lives. Here are some real statistics on adolescents who are victims:
• There are 1.2 billion adolescents worldwide—the largest group ever, and the most educated and urbanized.
• 90 percent of adolescents live in low- and middle-income countries, and 125 million live in areas affected by armed conflict.
• The growing adolescent population in Sub-Saharan Africa, projected to reach 500 million by 2050, has the potential to drive major change—if governments invest in and engage with this demographic.
• One in four of the poorest adolescents has never attended school, and more than 200 million adolescents of secondary school age are out of school.
• Adolescents are the only age group whose AIDS-related mortality rate is not declining.
The data above comes from https://www.unicef.org/adolescence, which states that problems and threats facing adolescents globally are on the rise; sadly, many people downplay these issues affecting adolescents.
Therefore, UNICEF works from morning to night to prevent inappropriate situations from occurring. To that end, UNICEF empowers young people to become actively involved so they can participate in their communities and in the political processes that affect them; UNICEF also collaborates with various partners. This approach—through which UNICEF can influence and change social norms that create conflict and act as barriers—is a principle that can develop platforms for adolescents in various areas, including empowerment and solutions to problems faced by adolescents globally.
It’s not just adolescents; young children are also vulnerable victims. The most critical issues include extreme poverty, followed by physical, emotional, or sexual violence, hunger, and limited access to education. Typically, the safest places are home, school, or even community settings such as orphanages, daycare centers, etc. But who would have thought that these very places—which should be the primary sources of protection—actually become the sites where violence occurs most frequently? The violence usually comes from people they trust, causing children to experience severe emotional distress that can lead to disorders, hinder brain development, cause learning difficulties, depression, and even self-harm. Tragically, this suffering can result in trauma that haunts them for the rest of their lives.
This occurs in every country, making it clear that it is not only a public health issue but also one of the most significant human rights violations in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), due to the rising incidence of violence against children, approximately 1 billion children—or, to put it in perspective, 50% of the world’s child population—are affected each year. This indicates the sheer scale of violence against children. Given the prevalence of such violence, UNICEF has detailed the percentages of child abuse cases as follows:
1. Disciplinary violence at home, 66%. This typically occurs within strict household disciplinary rules that must not be violated under any circumstances; if a child violates these rules or fails to comply with a caregiver’s wishes, they face physical or even verbal punishment. Unbeknownst to many, this can pose a psychological threat to the child. This situation affects approximately 1.6 billion children worldwide.
2. Sexual violence, affecting 20% of girls and 14% of boys. Tragically, in such situations, children are consistently victimized by inhumane sexual abuse—perpetrated without the slightest compassion for the child, driven solely by the perpetrator’s lust. More than 370 million of them have experienced rape or sexual assault,
or approximately 410 to 530 million children have experienced sexual violence before reaching adulthood. This can severely disrupt a child’s mental well-being, damaging their thought processes to the point of endangering their lives.
4. Exposure to Domestic Violence: 25% live with a mother who is a victim of physical, emotional, or sexual violence at the hands of her partner. This significantly affects a child’s mindset, as what should be a source of family joy turns into the destruction of their family; parents who do not get along prevent the child from receiving complete love and affection. From a young age, the child witnesses physical violence, which causes trauma or even leads them to imitate such behavior.
5. Bullying: 33% of children, typically those aged 13–15, consistently experience bullying in school settings. This leads to mental health issues, declining academic performance, and even threats of self-harm and suicide.
This paints a picture of the widespread impact and the many children who are victims of mistreatment. We at UNICEF are committed to protecting children worldwide to ensure a bright future and priceless smiles. One way to protect the world’s children is by providing the essential supplies they need in their respective regions. Currently, UNICEF has been providing significant assistance to countries in need to help restore the smiles of children worldwide. One such country is the Syrian Arab Republic, where children face some of the most complex circumstances in the world.
In December 2024, In Syria, ongoing fighting is affecting millions of children, leaving them to experience nothing but conflict throughout their lives—facing constant fear and psychological trauma from violence, the dangers of unexploded ordnance, sexual abuse, and the risk of exploitation. Children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable, suffering double the consequences due to Syria’s deteriorating conditions. Syria is also experiencing the worst education crisis in its history, with many schools and facilities destroyed, resulting in many children in Syria dropping out of school. Not only that, but the lack of hospital services—with up to 40% of hospitals and facilities no longer functioning—poses a crisis-level threat to their safety and health. They constantly face a shortage of clean water, a drastic increase in malnutrition, poor sanitation conditions, and the collapse of their healthcare system, all of which can trigger the widespread outbreak of various diseases. Restricted mobility within the country makes it difficult for people to escape the growing dangers they face, and the lack of services has left more than 7 million children in need of humanitarian aid. This is the state of Syria after 14 years of conflict and crisis, with children continuing to bear the heavy burden.
At the start of 2026, UNICEF provided concrete evidence that Syrian children are among those facing the most complex situations in the world, as follows:
1. An estimated 6.2 million people remain internally displaced, 1.4 million of whom are in displacement camps.
2. An estimated 14.6 million people are food insecure, including 600,000 children under the age of 5 who suffer from acute malnutrition.
The data above illustrates that this is a critical task for UNICEF regarding the future of children worldwide.
In addressing this situation, UNICEF and its partners continue to work together to protect children from the impacts of this conflict by providing essential assistance—namely, administering routine vaccinations to save the lives of children under one year of age, which has already reached 29,000 children—and by providing safe drinking water and sanitation services. which have been delivered to the city of Jibreen in Syria, helping 2.1 million people; supporting children’s access to education, with 929,000 children already supported; providing infant and young child nutrition, which has reached 1.2 million people; and helping children and women access health services and facilities, as well as providing assistance with explosive hazard prevention efforts for children and residents. Not to mention saving the lives of children facing physical and psychological challenges; UNICEF provides support and services so that children can find peace and better cope with their problems.
To improve the well-being of children, UNICEF is requesting US$481 million to assist 7.3 million people, including 4.8 million children, to ensure more dignified living conditions, a comfortable learning environment, and a bright future—and to let their endless smiles and well-being replace the lingering sadness caused by the terrifying circumstances of the past.
Although the global situation is advancing, on the other hand, there are several countries that need human resources to improve living conditions in their nations. Even in developed countries, there are still many violations against children, as explained above, leading to children’s lives lacking color, happiness, and a bright future—and even driving some to choose suicide. According to UNICEF’s principles, no child should die due to circumstances that we can prevent. How heartbreaking the plight of these children is! For this reason, UNICEF aims to bring smiles back to children’s faces and help them build a future where they can fully experience the beauty of childhood. For these children, UNICEF’s arrival is a deeply meaningful part of their lives; they experience genuine care and love, coloring and drawing together, playing together, and losing themselves in deep, joyful laughter—all of which creates opportunities and hope for their future. UNICEF arrives to find people exhausted, and leaves them feeling relaxed and stronger. Providing aid and hope to children in crisis benefits us all. When we share vaccines, we stop diseases before they spread across the globe. When we provide education, we foster opportunity, not despair. We will never give up on our efforts to enhance the happiness of children who are afraid to thrive.
We must care about this; as it is the responsibility of adults to properly care for children so that they can experience the joy of childhood and feel loved—and so that we are not afraid to grow. The safer children are at home, the stronger this world will grow together. UNICEF will continue to create opportunities to help children around the world, and many adults are already working together—from volunteering to donating—to support and guide children who lack the necessities of life. Never abandon children who aren’t ready to be left behind; stay here for the children’s sake, and stand with UNICEF. This global aid is not merely an option but a helping hand extended to anyone and everyone, offering support to rise again.
By: Alkayisa Septia Putri
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