Author: UNICEF
June 2009
The Annual Report 2008 highlights significant accomplishments as well as the challenges of UNICEF's work in 155 countries, areas and territories during a year marked by global financial, food and fuel crises. The report argues that through dynamic partnerships and tireless advocacy, UNICEF produced results for children and their families in 2008. In 2008 UNICEF worked with different partners to improve the living conditions of children around the world. For example, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) partnered to supply ready-to-use therapeutic food to stave off malnutrition in the Horn of Africa. As part of the International Year of Sanitation, UNICEF coordinated the UN-Water Task Force on Sanitation and helped launch the first annual Global Handwashing Day.
The annual report highlights UNICEF's work with governments, donors and advocates on campaigns to have more children attend school, to improve the quality of education and to advance a child-friendly school model. The report emphasizes that through partnerships with UNESCO, the World Bank and donor governments, and through its leadership of UNGEI, UNICEF assisted many countries in their advance towards fulfilling Millennium Development Goals 2 and 3: universal education and gender equality.
During the past year, UNICEF has led or joined emergency responses in 78 countries to provide 15.2 million children with health care, 5.6 million with water, sanitation and hygiene interventions, 4.3 million with nutrition supplementation and half a million through protection initiatives. The report also focuses on UNICEF's work in preventing the spread of HIV through HIV testing and counseling activities.
According to Ann M. Veneman, the Executive Director for UNICEF, the accomplishments of 2008 are even more significant in light of the global financial slowdown and the spike in food and fuel prices that took place in 2008. These global crises exacerbated an already tenuous situation for many children and their families, but UNICEF was able to produce small and large victories for children. UNICEF is also committed to continue supporting and protecting women and children by engaging with all relevant actors in society to unite for the best possible results.
Read the report online:
F.U.N was born when a friend asked how he can help the United Nations? "What does the UN need most" he asked? Friends are what the UN needs most, was our answer, and it just happens to spell F.U.N. 
