Charity spotlight: UNICEF Ireland
UNICEF is an international charity working across more than 190 countries to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children.
It works to provide education, health-care, immunisation, nutrition, water & sanitation, child protection and humanitarian aid.
About the charity
UNICEF, which stands for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, was founded more than 75 years ago in 1946.
The charity is one of the most recognisable around the world for social welfare, with a presence in 192 countries and territories.
It is one of the key organisations in responding to disasters or natural emergencies and was originally founded in the aftermath of the Second World War to provide relief to mothers.
UNICEF Ireland’s role is to raise funds for UNICEF and advocate for the survival and well-being of every child, including through child rights education, in Ireland.
Ambassadors include Donncha O’Callaghan, Rory McIlroy, Stephen Rea, and Cathy Kelly.
UNICEF Ireland charity projects
UNICEF Ireland tailors its work to help Irish people specifically.
Through different branches, it is able to provide care and support to those who need it the most.
Emergency Relief
UNICEF has been delivering emergency relief for over 70 years, providing aid to children who have been affected by armed conflict, natural disasters, and climate change.
The charity works with governments and other non-profit organisations to provide emergency relief to children in the most desperate need.
Water and Sanitation
UNICEF works to provide Water, Sanitation and Hygiene to children (or WASH).
The charity says: “Access to clean water, basic toilets, and good hygiene practices not only keeps children thriving, but also gives them a healthier start in life.”
Education
UNICEF Ireland’s role is to raise funds for UNICEF and advocate for the survival and well-being of every child, including through child rights education, in Ireland.
How the charity uses donations
UNICEF uses donations from all over the World to support good and worthy causes.
Whether this is responding to disasters, providing immunisation to young people or making sure children have access to clean water, it is there to help young people in lots of different ways.
The charity’s 2021 annual report detailed how it was there to help millions of children during the second year of the coronavirus outbreak.
The charity:
- Responded to 483 humanitarian crises
- Helped 48.6 million out-of-school children access education
- Provided services to prevent stunting and other forms of malnutrition, reaching nearly 336 million children, 38 per cent more than in 2020.
- Reached 154 million children with life-saving screening for severe wasting through simplified, community-level approaches despite pandemic-related service disruptions and treating nearly 5.5 million children.
- Reached 64% of women with at least four antenatal care visits in the 50 focus countries of the Every Newborn Action Plan
How to donate to UNICEF Ireland
If you wanted to play your part in helping to support UNICEF Ireland, there’s several ways you could get involved.
The charity relies entirely on donations.
You can donate simply online if you’d like and there are options for a single donation or a rolling monthly one.
How to fundraise for UNICEF Ireland
If you’re motivated to try and fundraise for UNICEF, you can also do this very easily.
You could raise funds in all sorts of ways, either by completing a physical challenge, or by organising an event for charity or by simply sharing the word among your friends and family.
You can start your fundraiser on GoFundMe, where we can be on-hand to help you through this as well as offer fundraising tips for you to reach your goal.
Whether you’re a seasoned fundraiser or an absolute beginner, there’s plenty of ways you can help to raise vital funds for the important charity.