Your summer supporter update

Sloviansk is 30 kilometres from the conflict’s front line. Nearly half of its water equipment was in desperate need of replacement. With donor support in 2024, UNICEF was able to reconstruct the city’s main water and sanitation networks.

Now, with a stable water supply restored to the city, families no longer have to make difficult choices between cooking, washing, or bathing their children. Instead of fetching water, Bohdan can spend his time being a kid and doing what he loves most — dancing!

With the help of supporters like you, UNICEF delivered a critical polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, reaching more than half a million children under the age of 10, like Alaa. Despite challenges, including limited humanitarian pauses and access restrictions, health workers achieved 94% vaccination coverage. At least two doses and a minimum of 90% vaccination coverage are required to stop the circulation of polio.

The polio vaccination campaign not only helped protect children from the deadly disease; it also highlighted the resilience of health workers who delivered on their promise through mounting difficulties. 

“Vaccinating my daughter was a relief after so much struggle,” says Alaa’s mother. “I am grateful to UNICEF for providing vaccines for children.”

Over 2,600 schools in Ecuador struggle to provide clean water for drinking, hand washing or toilets, leading to children getting sick and missing school. To keep children learning, UNICEF is creating safe, sustainable schools in Ecuador that adapt to the changing climate through the Smart Resilient Schools Program.

With the support of our donors and partners, the program equips schools with climate-resilient solutions, such as rainwater harvesting systems and solar panels for renewable energy, to improve their access to safe water. It also empowers children to learn about using resources responsibly to care for the planet.

Thanks to the Smart Resilient Schools Program, 10-year-old Merlía and 12-year-old Ángel (pictured) now have clean water at the Ejército Ecuatoriano School in Lago Agrio.

Community-based classes provide children in rural, hard-to-reach, or economically disadvantaged areas with a pathway to quality education – at no cost. Thanks to donor support, UNICEF has established new community-based education classrooms in remote villages across Afghanistan like Khadija’s.

In 2024, UNICEF supported both public and community-based education for grades 1 to 6, reaching 2.7 million children. Nearly 18,000 community-based education classes across the country are UNICEF-supported, reaching more than 564,000 children.

In her new classroom, Khadija embraces her lessons with a smile. She is one of the first to raise her hand, volunteering to test her knowledge on the blackboard in front of her classmates. For Khadija, it’s more than just a classroom — it’s a haven that offers her and her friends the opportunity to learn, grow and play away from harm.

Marking National Child Day, youth advocates shared their unique perspectives on critical issues like education, healthcare, mental health, climate change, and racism and discrimination. This event capped off a year of learning and building youth-led solutions to the issues that matter most to them in UNICEF Canada’s Youth Advocacy Program.

These diverse young people from across Canada engaged directly with leaders, including the Hon. Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development; Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, Bob Rae; CBC’s Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton, and many more.

The Summit reaffirmed a simple yet powerful truth: young people are not just leaders of tomorrow; they are leaders today. Their voices and actions are pivotal in shaping a future that upholds the rights of every child.