UNICEF Day (December 11): History of UNICEF & Its Work

On December 11, 1946, the United Nations General Assembly created an emergency fund to help children whose lives had been torn apart by the Second World War. That fund became UNICEF — today one of the world’s best-known humanitarian organisations, working for children in more than 190 countries and territories. UNICEF Day celebrates its birthday every December 11.

UNICEF at a glance
Founded	December 11, 1946
Original name	United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
Current name	United Nations Children’s Fund (acronym kept)
Headquarters	New York
Reach	More than 190 countries and territories
Nobel Peace Prize	1965
Hashtag	#UNICEF #ForEveryChild

From Emergency Fund to Global Champion for Children

Year	Milestone
1946	Created to provide food, clothing and health care to children in post-war Europe and China
1949	UNICEF sells its first greeting card, designed by a 7-year-old girl
1953	Becomes a permanent part of the UN; name shortened, acronym kept
1965	Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
1982	Launches the “child survival revolution” — growth monitoring, oral rehydration, breastfeeding and immunisation
1989	UN adopts the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Today	Vaccines for about 45% of the world’s children under five each year

👉 UNICEF and cards: National Christmas Card Day

What UNICEF Does

Area	Examples
Health	Vaccines, nutrition, maternal and newborn care
Education	Schools, learning materials, education in emergencies
Water and sanitation	Safe water, toilets and hygiene in schools and communities
Child protection	Fighting child labour, child marriage, violence and trafficking
Emergencies	Relief in wars, earthquakes, floods and epidemics
Social policy	Helping governments design programmes that reduce child poverty

UNICEF in Bangladesh

UNICEF has worked in Bangladesh since the early 1950s, supporting immunisation, oral rehydration, child nutrition, primary education, birth registration and safe water. It also supports children in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar.

How to Support UNICEF Day

1. Donate or become a regular supporter.
2. Buy UNICEF cards and gifts.
3. Learn about children’s rights and share them with #ForEveryChild.
4. Volunteer with a local UNICEF national committee or youth programme.

👉 Children’s rights: Universal Children’s Day — November 20

👉 Also December 11: International Mountain Day

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors

Since the 1950s, famous people have lent their voices to UNICEF’s work for children. Some of the best known include:

Ambassador	Known for
Danny Kaye	UNICEF’s first Goodwill Ambassador, appointed in 1954
Audrey Hepburn	Film star who visited children in Ethiopia, Somalia and beyond
David Beckham	Footballer and long-time supporter
Priyanka Chopra Jonas	Actor and advocate for children’s rights
Millie Bobby Brown	The youngest Goodwill Ambassador when appointed in 2018

UNICEF’s Key Achievements

• Helping reduce child deaths worldwide by more than half since 1990.
• Supplying vaccines that reach a large share of the world’s children every year.
• Promoting oral rehydration salts (ORS), which have saved millions of lives from diarrhoea.
• Supporting education for children in war zones and refugee camps.
• Championing the Convention on the Rights of the Child — the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history.

Children’s Rights Days to Remember

Day	Date
International Day of Education	January 24
International Day of the Girl Child	October 11
World Children’s Day	November 20
UNICEF Day	December 11

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