Yasin Gungor
20 June 2026•Update: 20 June 2026
UNICEF provided life-saving assistance to millions of children in 2025 despite a historic decline in international funding, according to an annual report released Friday.
The cuts forced "agonizing choices" about which services to scale back, the Children's Fund said, noting that the Official Development Assistance (ODA) plummeted by an estimated 9% to 18% during the year. The shortfall followed a 6% decline in 2024, placing millions of children at risk of preventable death and the loss of critical nutrition and health care support.
Despite the financial hurdles, the agency responded to 414 emergencies across 101 countries. Key achievements included the delivery of more than 1.6 billion polio vaccine doses, which contributed to a 68% reduction in global cases since 2022. Additionally, UNICEF reached 255 million children with services to treat and prevent wasting.
The report highlighted significant progress in protecting vulnerable groups, noting that nearly 10.4 million adolescent girls received child marriage prevention interventions. Furthermore, UNICEF expanded its reach to 6.5 million children with disabilities through specialized inclusive programming.
Regional crises, education
In the Middle East and North Africa, the agency navigated protracted conflicts and wars in Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. Efforts focused on maintaining primary health care and learning continuity amid the destruction of civilian infrastructure. In West and Central Africa, UNICEF expanded digital learning programs despite the closure of more than 14,000 schools due to violence.
The report also highlighted that 27.8 million out-of-school children received educational support in 90 countries. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the organization utilized the Banco Futuro initiative to mobilize $5 billion for youth investments to combat high poverty and violence.
UNICEF also provided safe water to more than 34 million people and basic sanitation to 17 million others. The agency also distributed $559 million in cash assistance to vulnerable households in humanitarian settings.
