Unicef Annual Report 2015 Contents
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Annual Report 2015 Notes: Data in this report are drawn from the most recent available statistics from UNICEF and other United Nations agencies, annual reports prepared by UNICEF Country Offices and the Annual report of the Executive Director of UNICEF presented to the Executive Board, 14–16 June 2016. All amounts are in US dollars unless otherwise specified. For any corrigenda found subsequent to printing, please visit our website at www.unicef.org/publications ISBN: 978-92-806-4843-0 © United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) July 2016 Front cover: A boy helps his sister across a ditch at a refugee and migrant transit centre in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. © UNICEF/UN05568/Georgiev UNICEF ANNUAL REPORT 2015 CONTENTS 02 04 08 Message from the 1. Humanitarian Action Executive Director 44 18 Introduction 36 2. Programme Priorities 3. Partnership, Advocacy 4. Financial Stewardship and Innovation and Accountability CONTENTS 01 MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Fairness has always been at the The same principle guides our work change. Because of their gender, heart of our work at UNICEF. It began today, and in 2015 we worked harder race, ethnicity or disability. when our organization was founded than ever to promote the rights and to provide life-saving aid to children well-being of children everywhere … The challenges we faced in this work whose lives had been ravaged by and to promote a fair chance in life for were as great as they have ever been World War II. every child – especially the children – because for millions upon millions to whom that fair chance is most of children, life in 2015 was anything It didn’t matter then which country often denied. but fair. those children lived in or what role that country played in the war. What Children left out and left behind Violent conflicts threatened millions mattered was reaching the children at because of who they are or where of children from Ukraine to the Syrian greatest risk and in greatest need. they live. Because they are poor or Arab Republic … from South Sudan live in remote rural areas or urban to the Central African Republic to the Wherever they lived, whoever slums. Because they come from Sahel … from Yemen to Iraq. These their parents were, whatever their countries affected by conflict and protracted conflicts and other crises circumstances. communities hit hard by climate helped drive the largest movement UNICEF/UNI180916/Nesbitt © 02 UNICEF | ANNUAL REPORT 2015 of migrant and refugee children in friends through a programme that “ In 2015 we worked almost 70 years – increasing the risks fosters reconciliation by helping harder than ever to to their lives and life prospects. displaced children to mix with local promote the rights and young people. well-being of children The effects of climate change – diseases, droughts and floods that Reaching these children and so everywhere … and to destroy food sources and livelihoods many others like them is the right promote a fair chance – further exacerbated risks to children and fair thing to do. And it is not in life for every child – and deepened deprivation for mil- only a matter of fairness. It is also especially the children lions. Crushing poverty and widening a practical prerequisite for building to whom that fair chance disparities in health, education and more stable, peaceful, prosperous is most often denied. protection undermined the lives and societies. Children who are given ” futures of millions more. a fair start in life – nurturing care, access to nutrition and basic health The pages of this report are filled services, an education, protection with examples of these enormous from violence and exploitation – are challenges and the action UNICEF more likely to fulfil their potential and our partners took in 2015 to as adults and make their societies meet them – as well as with hopeful richer in every sense. stories about some of the children we are reaching. In September 2015, the global community recognized this critical Children like Fatima in Yemen, who connection – the basic link between was severely malnourished until a greater equity and stronger societies mobile health team locally known as – when it adopted the Sustainable a ‘rescue car’ arrived at her village Development Goals, which explicitly and set up a temporary clinic to bring pledge to leave no one behind. life-saving nourishment to children cut off by conflict. Together with our partners, UNICEF is already working to turn that Children like Jariatu in Sierra Leone, commitment into concrete action. who lost her family to Ebola but The generosity of our donors makes is now being cared for by a young everything we do possible. We are Ebola survivor, thanks to a cash immensely grateful for their support, transfer programme that is helping and we will continue working to earn rebuild lives. it – making the most efficient use of the funds entrusted to us in order to Children like Thu Zar Moe in achieve the greatest impact in the Myanmar’s Rakhine State, whose lives of the children in greatest need chance for an education was once and at greatest risk. shattered by inter-communal violence, but who is now learning For in a world that often challenges at a child-friendly centre for our hope, we can best challenge displaced families. hopelessness with results. Children like Masotja in Swaziland, Results for children. a teenager living with HIV whose health and hope were deteriorating Results for every child. until he joined a hospital-supported teen club where adolescents can go to learn more about how to cope with HIV and, just as important, to support each other. OPPOSITE PAGE: Executive Children like Khaled and Jolal in Iraq, Anthony Lake Director Anthony Lake speaks with a two boys from different religions Executive Director schoolgirl during an event at UNICEF and ethnic groups who became fast headquarters in New York. MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 03 INTRODUCTION Every child has the right to a fair chance in life. Leaving no child behind is both a moral imperative CHILDREN AND YOUTH IN FOCUS and a strategic priority for the devel- Serbia: Helping refugees and migrants weather opment of inclusive, sustainable and the Balkan winter stable societies everywhere. In 2015, UNICEF worked with partners around the world to make that fair chance a reality. The year provided a renewed opportunity to build on past achievements with an eye towards reaching all children and narrowing persistent gaps in equity – specifically, UNICEF/UN05622/Gilbertson Photo VII gaps affecting children left behind © despite overall progress made under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from 2000 through 2015. The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), approved by 193 Member States of the United Nations in 2015, incorporate objec- tives that are specific to the health and well-being of children – including adolescents. The goals include tar- As temperatures dropped and In response to the refugee gets for early childhood development, families continued their migration and migrant crisis, the European universal access to education, and to Europe in search of safety and Union’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil protection of girls and boys from vio- a better life in December 2015, Protection Department provided lence, abuse and exploitation. There UNICEF and partners worked a grant of €2 million to insulate are also targets related to ending urgently to provide support to children from the worst extremes harmful practices against children migrant and refugee children and of weather and deprivation as they and promoting their legal identify families fleeing conflict in the made their way through Serbia through birth registration. Middle East. and the former Yugoslav Republic Chartered buses lined up at the of Macedonia. Together with an alliance of Sid railway station and unloaded The grant helped procure child-focused agencies, the Special their passengers on the Serbian winter essentials like clothes, Representative of the Secretary- side of the border with Croatia. As footwear and blankets, as well as General on Violence against Children, people queued for police to check age-appropriate food for infants other United Nations agencies and their papers, some of the youngest and children. UNICEF and partners Member States, UNICEF advocated among them were particularly used part of the grant to set up intensively for the child protection vulnerable to the winter cold, with winterized child-friendly spaces, targets, which previously had not temperatures only a few degrees where children can relax and play been integrated into the global above freezing. One boy, little in a warm, dry environment, as development agenda. more than an infant, sat on the well as safe spaces where women ground wearing just one shoe. His can breastfeed their children ABOVE RIGHT: Jannat, age 7, from other foot was bare. in privacy. the Syrian Arab Republic, plays at a child-friendly space in Croatia. 04 UNICEF | ANNUAL REPORT 2015 The new global goals recognize the quickly to the shifting circumstances “ In pursuit of a more critical importance of promoting of children in all contexts, including equitable world, UNICEF equity in access to child and mater- countries of origin, transit and des- stepped up our response nal health care, proper nutrition, safe tination – and to protect their best to both entrenched and drinking water, birth registration, interests at every stage. In this case, quality education and other the crisis has reached the ‘backyard’ new challenges in 2015.” essentials. By adopting the goals, of high-income countries. the world’s governments committed to a pledge “that no one will be left At the same time, UNICEF sought behind … and we will endeavour to new ways to meet children’s reach the furthest behind first.” This basic needs – for health, nutrition, approach mirrors UNICEF’s perspec- water and sanitation, education tive that sustainable development and protection – in the most is achievable only if progress difficult circumstances and remote accelerates for the poorest and most locations.