Gen Z icons to promote youth mental well-being, contributing $1.4M and mobilizing fans worldwide to reduce stigma and support young people’s emotional health.
UNICEF
What do music legends George Harrison, Ravi Shankar and ABBA have in common? Over the years, they, along with Jon Batiste, Fleetwood Mac and countless other musicians, have helped change the lives of millions of children. From rock and pop stars to jazz, cabaret and funk prodigies – these musicians, in partnership with , have proven that music-led advocacy can drum up compassion for causes once tuned out. And the appeals resonate.
NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol, , is helping lead the fight against the global childhood obesity pandemic by whipping up a healthy recipe for change.
In 2025, obesity surpassed underweight among children for the first time, driven by toxic food environments, while movement empowers youth worldwide to advocate for healthier, more equitable food policies.
Every day, Peter Hawkins wakes up to make a difference. As UNICEF's Representative in Yemen, he puts that boundless energy into helping young people survive one of the world’s most intractable humanitarian crises.
After a decade of conflict and collapse, a new generation of Yemenis are yearning for a better tomorrow: "So the children sit there in these classrooms with no walls, no floors, no desks, and learn, and they're proud about what they learn. And they come to me and say, ‘Look, don't worry, we will continue to learn. But if you can give us desks, if you can fill up the walls and you can give us a floor and a blackboard, it will be even better.’"
In Peter Hawkins reflects on the striking resilience of the people he serves, and shares how his upbringing in Ethiopia and service in Iraq taught him to never give up working for change. For him, the biggest challenge today is not so much about raising awareness, but about action, “It is so important to understand how one side of the world is so lucky and the other side of the world is still desperately poor, and how we bring those two together.â€
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±«±·±õ°ä·¡¹ó’s programme is empowering young refugees and vulnerable youth like Taima and Touqa with skills and opportunities to build brighter, more resilient futures.
In 2024, modest progress in infant vaccination left nearly 20 million children unvaccinated due to conflict, misinformation, and funding shortages undercutting .
Expanding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine access is vital to eliminate cervical cancer. Here are about HPV and vaccines.
Parenting may not always be easy, but it's filled with meaningful, lasting moments that shape both .
The Smurfs, alongside the UN’s ActNow campaign and , are inspiring children worldwide to speak up for fairness, empowerment, and a more inclusive future, with support from global stars like Rihanna and Hannah Waddingham.
As global aid declines, vital services for children, like healthcare and immunization, are collapsing, threatening millions of lives and undermining progress in humanitarian and development efforts.
When conflict dominates the news, children often feel scared or anxious and look to their parents for reassurance and a sense of safety.
When parents and children connect through play, it’s magical. Choose play every day because every moment matters.
What does parenting really look like?
June is , and invites you into the lives of four families as they navigate the everyday joys and challenges of parenthood. With support from The LEGO Foundation, this short film is a powerful reminder that just as there is no one way to raise a child, there is also no one way to be a parent.
Join us on June 1 2025, and let's watch it together.
The weeks since the breakdown of the ceasefire in Gaza have seen yet more pain and tragedy piled on top of what was already almost unfathomable loss. The ongoing bombardments, and the entering the Gaza Strip, have strained the humanitarian response to the limit. Since the start of this war in Gaza, thousands of children have been killed and many thousands more have been injured. But even for those who survive the injuries, life will never be the same. These are some of their stories.
From measles to polio, immunization has saved 154 million lives in 50 years—and holds the key to a future where no child dies from preventable diseases.