UK Charity Awards

UNICEF is a charity that was started on December 11th 1940 to help children all over Europe who were in need of help after World War II. UNICEF was developed in the early years of the UN, beginning with Great Britain, France, Russia and the USA and were originally called UNRRA, United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

By 1948 they were providing rations for 5 million children in 12 countries. Later that year they started the largest mass vaccination in the world, and by 1995 over 155 million children had been tested and 60 million children had been vaccinated against tuberculosis.

In 1950 they were almost disbanded by the UN but a representative from Pakistan claimed that there was still a need for them. Saying that people in a constant state of emergency such as poverty, disease and malnutrition, needed help, and that the UN had a responsibility to help them in this. This helped swing the debate and UNICEF remained. During the 1950's they started the assault on diseases in tropical countries such as malaria.

In the 1960's, known as 'International Development Decade' UNICEF began to take their work further by working with foreign countries health and education ministers to bring in children's rights, they also started to enable self-help programs for communities that needed help. One of the most notable things they also did at this time was in India in the summer of 1967. Due to a drought thousands of people had no water, UNICEF went in and dug wells in villages and within 2 months 222 villages had a well to access water.

In 1980 they then launched their 'Child Survival and Development Resolution' during this campaign they immunized million of children against tuberculosis and it was the largest mobilization in peacetime history. In 1989 children's rights gained global recognition, within a year over 90 countries signed and today over 190 countries have signed and are helping to protect and promote child rights. By the end of the 80's it was estimated that they had saved 12 million children. They have also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965.

To this day they provide food, blankets and medicines to children all over the world. They are the worlds leading organization for children and child rights, helping children wherever it's needed no matter of nationality, status or politics. They prioritise where their help is needed including conflict states and fragile states. UNICEF is currently active in 190 countries and territories, with 88% of their staff being located in one of the 150 less developed countries.

From the beginning, their goals have been to help children wherever it is needed, this goes beyond just feeding and clothing. UNICEF help with immunization, providing clean drinking water, education and most importantly promoting the rights of children, working with governments and families to make sure each child gets to live a full and healthy life. To actually name all the countries they have helped or list the problems they are trying to help solve would be almost impossible. Their website currently shows 192 countries where they are presently helping. They are currently running a campaign called 'unite for children, unite against AIDS' this campaign is targeted to help children the world over suffering with AIDS or HIV, it is also about preventing AIDS and educating children.

They do lot's of fundraising worldwide from people on the streets collecting money, to their Christmas card program. People can do fund raisers for UNICEF such as a sponsored run, or donate money online or as a standing order. They also do an 'in memoriam' gift, where you can donate money in the name of a loved one. As you could expect from a company set up by the UN and working closely with countries worldwide they also get a lot of funding from governments all over the world from America, the UK and Japan, to name just a few of many. They also receive funding from CERF, which is the UN's Central Emergency Relief Fund. In 2007 60% of UNICEF's funding was from government donors with the private sector, from companies to people made up the remaining 30%. www.unicef.org.uk