Udenrigsudvalget 2016-17
URU Alm.del Bilag 61
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ANNIVERSARY MEDIA KEY MESSAGES - CONFIDENTIAL AND INTERNAL TO
UNICEF
Please note STRICT EMBARGO times for news story planned for 9 December 2016
Overall 70 anniversary
UNICEF was established in 1946 by the United Nations to safeguard the lives of children
struggling to survive in the aftermath of World War II – and in doing so, to help rebuild
destroyed societies and restore hope for a better future.
On 11 December 2016, UNICEF marks 70 years of relentless work in the world’s toughest
places to bring life-saving aid and long-term support to children whose lives and futures are
endangered by conflict, crises, poverty, inequality and discrimination.
Without courageous, committed people working to reach the most vulnerable children, and
without government partners, donors, fearless advocates and supporters from around the
world, we would never have achieved the immense progress for children that we’ve seen in
recent decades.
The number of children dying before their fifth birthday has more than halved in the past
25 years. Hundreds of millions of children have been lifted out of poverty. Out-of-school
rates among primary-school-aged children have reduced by more than 40 per cent between
1990 and 2014.
But despite impressive progress many children are being left behind. They are being left
behind because of their gender, race, religion, ethnic group or disability; because they live
in poverty or in hard-to-reach communities; or simply because they are children. We must
recommit ourselves to the goal of seeing all children treated fairly and living free from
oppression.
If we don’t act now, millions of children under five will continue to die from mostly
preventable causes, millions of children will miss out on their education, and hundreds of
millions will continue to live in poverty.
And for some children it is even worse. Children are targets of war. They are at risk of
violence abuse and exploitation. Nearly 50 million children have been uprooted – more than
half of them driven from their homes by conflicts.
The hope of the world rests in the coming generations. We must act now. How can we
expect children to learn to respect the rights of others if their own rights are violated? How
will they view the world, and their responsibility to it?
From the ashes of war in the 1940s to the global migrant and refugee crisis today, UNICEF
has consistently protected and advocated for children at risk and children in need. Seventy
years on, we are working harder than ever to give a fair chance for every child. We look
ahead, with hope and determination, to a better future for all the world’s children.
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Nearly a quarter of the world’s children live in conflict or disaster-stricken countries:
UNICEF
Embargoed until 00.01am GMT 9 December 2016
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An estimated 535 million children – nearly one in four – live in countries affected by conflict
or disaster, often without access to medical care, quality education, proper nutrition and
protection.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly three-quarters – 393 million – of the global number
of children living in countries affected by emergencies, followed by the Middle East and
North Africa where 12 per cent of these children reside.
The new figures are released as UNICEF, on Sunday 11 December 2016, marks 70 years of
relentless work in the world’s toughest places to bring life-saving aid, long-term support,
and hope to children whose lives and futures are threatened by conflict, crises, poverty,
inequality and discrimination.
The impact of conflict, natural disasters and climate change is forcing children to flee their
homes, trapping them behind conflict lines, and putting them at risk of disease, violence
and exploitation:
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Nearly 50 million children have been uprooted – more than half of them driven from
their homes by conflicts.
As violence continues to escalate across Syria, the number of children living under siege
has doubled in less than one year. Nearly 500,000 children now live in 16 besieged areas
across the country, almost completely cut off from sustained humanitarian aid and basic
services.
In northeastern Nigeria, nearly 1.8 million people are displaced, almost 1 million of them
are children.
In Afghanistan, nearly half of primary-aged children are out of school.
In Yemen, nearly 10 million children are affected by the conflict.
In South Sudan, 59 per cent of primary-aged children are out of school and 1 in 3 schools
is closed in conflict affected areas.
More than two months after Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti, more than 90,000 children
under five remain in need of assistance.
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UNICEF by numbers
Nutrition
In the 1940s, UNICEF began providing emergency nutrition aid, mainly in the form of milk, to
children in post-World War II Europe.
In 2015, UNICEF and partners worldwide treated
2.9 million children for severe acute malnutrition.
Health
In the 1950s, UNICEF’s first immunization campaigns targeted diseases such as tuberculosis
and yaws. In 2015, UNICEF procured 2.8 billion doses of vaccines, helping to protect 45 per
cent of the world’s children under age 5 from deadly diseases.
In 1998, UNICEF became a founding member of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership to support
malaria treatment and research, and expand prevention measures such as long-lasting
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insecticide-treated bed nets.
In 2015, UNICEF procured 22.3 million bed nets to protect
children and families in 30 countries.
Education
In 1961, UNICEF expanded its programmatic focus to include children’s education.
In 2015,
UNICEF provided 7.5 million children aged 3 to 18 with access to formal or non-formal
basic education.
Child protection
In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, which specifies that all children should be registered at birth to establish their existence
under the law and safeguard many of their rights.
In 2015, more than 9.7 million births
were registered in 54 countries with support from UNICEF.
Water, sanitation and hygiene
In 1953, UNICEF launched its first efforts to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene
for children and families in need, and it has expanded that work with many partners over time.
Between 1990 and 2015, 2.6 billion people gained access to improved drinking water
sources and 2.1 billion gained access to improved sanitation facilities.
Humanitarian action
Since its founding, UNICEF has never stopped responding to humanitarian emergencies
affecting children – particularly those already burdened by poverty and disadvantage.
In 2015, UNICEF and partners:
• Vaccinated 11.3 million children against measles in countries affected by crisis.
• Provided 4 million children in emergency situations with access to formal or non-formal basic
education.
• Provided psychosocial support for 2 million children caught in conflicts and natural disasters.
General Comparative Facts
In 1955, UNICEF was assisting 92 countries and territories.
In 2016, UNICEF works in 190
countries and territories.
The first National Committee for UNICEF was formed in the United States in 1947 to raise funds
and awareness on the agency’s behalf.
In 2016, there are 34 National Committees around
the world.
In 1972, UNICEF employed about 1,000 international and locally recruited staff members.
In
2016, it has a global staff of approximately 13,000.
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