There is a good chance that you've already heard about UNICEF. You may have participated in a Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF event as a child or it might just be an organization you caught wind of in passing. UNICEF recently entered back into my mind after seeing a U.N. article about the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Truth be told, I tend not to read the news, because it makes me sad, but if something pops up on social media and grabs my attention, I will read it. This article did grab my attention, and while Syria feels like it's about a whole world away, I knew that I needed to jump in and do something.
UNICEF was founded in December of 1946 as an entity meant to meet the emergency needs of children in post-war Europe and China. Its full name is: United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, and since its creation, it has been busy at work in 190 countries around the world. Many of the countries in which they work are located in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, though there are 33 National Committees around the world, including the US Fund for UNICEF, that work to raise and allocate funds to do things like help prevent childhood AIDS, give kids access to education, and bring food to people in areas where crises are occurring.
Charity Watch, an independent charity evaluator, has given UNICEF an A rating. This rating is based on the average cost to raise $100, percentage of donations given to programs instead of being allocated to overhead, and several other factors. According to their research, 84% of donations to UNICEF directly benefit the people they serve and it only costs them $12 to raise $100.
As aforementioned, UNICEF caught my attention because of an article about the humanitarian crisis in Syria. There are currently thousands of displaced people due to the fighting between Russia, Syria, and opposing forces. UNICEF has been trying to provide food, shelter, blankets, and other necessities to people who have been forced to flee their homes, but even with the United Nations releasing a Humanitarian Readiness and Response Plan with a request for $500 million to help the approximate 1.1 million civilians and refugees caught in the fray, this amount of funding is just not enough. The United Nations has also called for an immediate cease-fire, but it does not appear to be anywhere in sight in the near future.
Until the conflict ends, UNICEF is working tirelessly to vaccinate children under 5 against polio, improve water systems to deliver clean drinking water, provide micronutrients for children and lactating mothers, distribute clothing kits and blankets, and provide 2.4 million children with formal education. If you'd like to help, there are many ways to get involved. First and foremost, you can make a donation. You can also purchase specially curated items in the UNICEF shop. Sales from these items will donate a portion of proceeds directly back to people in need. If you aren't able to help financially, you can sponsor a fundraiser and share the UNICEF donation form to help raise awareness!
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