Donate and help protect
Children facing climate crisis

Our Children’s Emergency Fund helps children affected by disasters whenever and wherever they are. Right now for example, the climate crisis is putting children’s most basic rights at risk, seriously affecting their access to health, food, water, clean air, education and protection. Around the world, the growing number of extreme weather events is putting more and more children’s lives in danger.

When disaster strikes, UNICEF works around the clock to provide life-saving supplies to families in need.

Climate change is a direct threat to a child’s ability to survive, grow, and thrive. Children are the least responsible for climate change, yet they will bear the greatest burden of its impact. As extreme weather events such as cyclones and heatwaves increase in frequency and ferocity, they threaten children’s lives and destroy infrastructure critical to their well-being. Floods compromise water and sanitation facilities, leading to diseases such as cholera, to which children are particularly vulnerable. Droughts and changing global rainfall patterns are leading to crop failures and rising food prices, resulting in food insecurity and nutritional deprivations that can have lifelong impacts. These also have the potential to destroy livelihoods, drive migration and conflict, and cripple opportunities for children and young people. Children are the most vulnerable to diseases that will become more widespread as a result of climate change, such as malaria and dengue fever. Close to 90 per cent of the burden of disease attributable to climate change is borne by children under the age of 5.

When disaster strikes, children can lose everything

Across the world, 50 million children face conflict, natural disasters, health crises and other complex emergencies. These situations can leave children without their homes, schools and families. Their access to shelter, food, water and medicines can be seriously affected and children are left more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.

UNICEF staff are on the ground in these emergencies providing immediate, life-saving care and supplies, as well as lasting support to help families rebuild their lives. Donate to our Children’s Emergency Fund and help us be there for children whenever disaster strikes.

Please donate now

Your gift will go directly to our Children’s Emergency Fund to save and protect children in emergencies around the world.