The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was created in 1946 in response to famine and disease affecting children in Europe. The goal of UNICEF, at that time, was to provide these children with food, health care, and clothing. In 1953, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) extended the mandate of UNICEF indefinitely, establishing UNICEF as a permanent fixture of the UN. The committee’s early projects included campaigns to combat and eliminate the treatable mass diseases of the time like tuberculosis, yaws, and leprosy. After the UNGA passed the Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959, UNICEF had an official UN document around which to frame its goals. In 1961, UNICEF expanded its goals beyond improving children’s health and nutrition to also include education. Around this time, the committee also developed its modern theory on aid, which promotes a holistic approach to addressing the needs of children.

Globally, one in five children live in or are fleeing from conflict zones. These places are affected by war or political instability that disrupt services like housing, transportation, sanitation, and healthcare. Naturally, this environment can be detrimental to a child’s development. For example, armed groups can deny citizens access to basic needs. This can lead to severe malnutrition and drinking unsafe water, which may result in disease outbreaks. Children are also recruited and used in armed conflict as fighters, cooks, guards, and messengers. While often recruited by abduction, threats, and manipulation, some children are forced to join to generate income for their families. These children experience dangerous labor conditions, risk of death, and serious injuries which can lead to disabilities. Their reintegration as children after being released can be extremely difficult, as they are often rejected by their communities and families. Specifically, children who have lived through armed conflict show a higher prevalence of mental disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. By providing humanitarian aid, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) can address the neglected needs of children in armed conflict so that their childhood is not affected. Delegates in UNICEF will have to examine ongoing conflicts to find common ground on the best course of action to ensure children in these countries are protected.

More than half of child deaths are due to conditions that could be easily prevented or treated, given access to healthcare. This is primarily due to the inadequate healthcare systems worldwide. For developing countries, access to healthcare can be difficult due to limited resources. Specifically, 1.4 million children under the age of five die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases. By improving the equitable distribution of vaccines, these children could be saved. Another factor that exacerbates healthcare inequalities is the environment. Infants and toddlers in developing countries are susceptible to food-borne diseases like cholera and vector-borne diseases such as malaria. This is due to environmental pollution, a lack of sanitation resources, and unsafe drinking water. Delegates of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) must address this inherently interdisciplinary issue by creating solutions based on social, economic, and geographic factors that contribute to high infant mortality.