UNICEF Aotearoa’s Executive Management Team are a passionate bunch with a wealth of experience. They’re all about innovative ideas and the ongoing commitment to investing in hope for kids worldwide.

Meet our executive management team

Explore the UNICEF Aotearoa Board of Trustees, dedicated leaders who uphold children's rights. Meet our diverse board members, fostering transparency and governance for a better future.

UNICEF Aotearoa Governance | Meet Our Board of Trustees

Our Board

In 1989, world leaders came together and agreed on a ground-breaking treaty to guide and protect kids across the globe. This was the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

UNICEF Aotearoa advocates for Child Rights.

Child Rights Resources for Children

Resources for Adults & Teachers

E-Course: Child Rights & Why They Matter

Advocacy Resources + Toolkit for Children & Young People

Child Rights

UNICEF Aotearoa is among 33 global committees raising funds for emergency and developmental work, serving children everywhere.

Protecting Children's Rights in 192+ Countries: UNICEF's 77-Year Mission

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About Us

When a crisis strikes we respond immediately - and our readiness begins with people like you. 

We’re 100% donor funded, making you the crucial starting point in our journey to reach kids with life-saving water, medical supplies, shelter, vaccines, and treatment for malnutrition – anywhere in the world. 

Your donation will help build a global whānau that’s always ready to respond at a time when every second counts.

For over 75 years, UNICEF has championed children's welfare during emergencies, delivering vital aid when it matters most. Explore how your support amplifies our mission and creates a lasting impact.

Stand with UNICEF: Addressing the World's Greatest Needs for Children

Donate to The Greatest Need

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The Greatest Need

It's been an horrific 12 months of conflict for children in Gaza. Their homes, schools, communities and dreams have been reduced to rubble. Yet amidst the destruction, the strength and resilience of children has shone through thanks to UNICEF donors. However, with the humanitarian crisis deepening, we need more help to keep Gazan children and their dreams alive. Please donate today to send urgent aid to children in Gaza.

Urgent appeal for children of Gaza Crisis. The situation on the ground is rapidly deteriorating. More than a million people, nearly half of them children, are in danger. Families are running out of food, water and electricity, and safe access to hospitals and medicine is severely restricted. Please donate to help send urgent aid to children in Gaza and the wider State of Palestine.

Children of Gaza Crisis

Help protect children in Gaza and the wider State of Palestine.

This is Gaza for Kids

Poliovirus type 2 was detected in Gaza in July 2024, prompting an urgent vaccination campaign led by UNICEF, WHO, UNRWA, and partners. The goal is to vaccinate over 640,000 children under ten, with 1.2 million vaccine doses already delivered and another 400,000 on the way.

Polio vaccines delivered into Gaza

We can't forget about kids in Afghanistan. Conflict, drought, disease and natural disasters make it one of the most deadly places to be a child. Help us be there before, during and after an emergency and support our long-term, life-changing work for kids, by making a donation today.

In a crisis that’s largely left the headlines, we can’t forget about kids in Afghanistan.

Over the past few years, these children have faced immense challenges. Ongoing conflict, earthquakes, drought, disease outbreaks and economic shocks have pushed many kids into dangerous circumstances. 

Today, more than 12 million children in Afghanistan need our help. 

Even the most basic of needs - food, clean water, healthcare and education are beyond the reach of many kids. Which is why we're working tirelessly to deliver life-saving assistance to children and families in greatest need. And while this emergency isn’t getting the attention it deserves right now, we cannot turn our backs on children when they need us most.

UNICEF is on the front lines in Afghanistan, working to support children before, during and after emergencies since 1949. To continue to be there for kids in Afghanistan, we need your help.

Please make a donation today. 

You'll be supporting ongoing emergency response work and long-term life-changing programs that help improve children's well-being today and their prospects for the future.   

Decades of conflict, increased climate related disasters and an ongoing cycle of poverty has meant Afghanistan is one of the worst places on earth to be a child. Right now, 15 million children need our help. Afghan children need the basics we take for granted - clean water, food, vaccines, healthcare and education.

Children in Crisis: UNICEF's Afghanistan Emergency Appeal

Help children in Afghanistan

Afghanistan Emergency

Almost 10 million Yemeni children are in urgent need of help to survive. We've been providing clean water, medical supplies, nutritious food, hygiene and sanitation, and education to children - but we need to do more. This is where you come in, your donation can make a world of difference.

Children in Yemen need our urgent help.  



Conflict has engulfed Yemen for nearly a decade now, leaving children and their families in desperate need. The statistics are harrowing - almost 10 million kids are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, including over 120,000 who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The deadliest kind.

The media doesn’t seem to talk about the crisis in Yemen, but we can't afford to forget about the children living it every day.

The current emergency situation is only getting worse with widespread poverty, a collapsed healthcare system and a lack of clean water and sanitation. Families are being forced to make near impossible choices – whether to buy food or medicine, whether to flee their homes or stay and face violence. 

We cannot turn our backs on the children of Yemen. They need us now more than ever.

Please consider making a donation today, you’ll be helping save lives and restore hope to those who’ve lost so much. 

Join UNICEF in the Yemen emergency appeal. Your contribution can save lives, provide clean water, and ensure children receive the education they deserve.

Donate to Yemen Crisis: UNICEF's Urgent Appeal & Emergency Aid

Help kids in Yemen

Sanad's miraculous recovery from malnutrition

Yemen Children's Crisis

We get things done and we never give up - but it's regular monthly donations that help us keep fighting the good fight. From the ground floor up, we're seeing through life-changing projects and programmes that tackle the root cause of problems affecting children's present and future. 

Monthly donations make lasting change for kids! 

Behind every smile are long-term projects and programmes that tackle the root cause of problems affecting children’s present and future. They’re funded by incredible monthly donations, big and small! It's generous kiwis that help us keep fighting the good fight - on a scale like no other.

We may be the world’s largest children’s charity but we don't work in isolation. To better understand the unique needs of every child we work closely with families, communities and governments in over 190 countries - using life-changing monthly donations to plan for the big picture!

We get things done and we never give up - but it's your regular donations that help us keep fighting the good fight. From the ground floor up, we're seeing through life-changing projects and programmes that tackle the root cause of problems affecting children's present and future. 

Global Parent - Monthly donations make lasting change for kids!

Become a Global Parent

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Global Parent

Millions of children and families in Syria still need our support. We need your support to continue to be on the ground responding to kids' immediate needs and making long-term sustainable change to protect children's futures. If you can help, please make a donation today. Your donation will make a lasting difference for children.

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Help kids in Syria

Syria Children's Crisis

Our partnership with Dan is providing sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions for schools and health facilities. Across remote areas of the Pacific, we're delivering the essentials for children and their whānau.

A partnership between Dan Carter and UNICEF Aotearoa - driving life-changing impact for kids and communities in Aotearoa and the Pacific!



After leaving a lasting legacy in rugby, Dan was ready for his next big challenge - using his influence to help kids achieve their goals. This starts with making sure they have reliable access to life's basics - like WATER!

Our current partnership with Dan is all about providing safe and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions for schools, health facilities, and early childhood settings.

Across four of the hardest-to-reach areas of the Pacific, we're delivering the essentials for thousands of children and their whānau.

Even in our own backyard, we're making a difference by helping kiwi kids better understand their rights and know how to advocate for themselves! 

Dan Carter and school kids in Vanuatu playing rugby on the field

Donate to the DC10 Fund

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The DC10 Fund

Families in Libya are facing catastrophic flooding and landslides after Storm Daniel came ashore on September 10, 2023. More than 6,000 people have been killed, while hundreds more are missing, and at least 40,000 people have been displaced. UNICEF is on the ground, reaching children with emergency supplies, but we need your help.

UNICEF is on the ground, reaching children with emergency supplies after Storm Daniel swamped north-eastern Libya. We can’t do it alone. We need your help to always be there. No matter what. 

Families are facing catastrophic flooding and landslides in Libya after Storm Daniel came ashore on Sept. 10, 2023, inundating communities along the country's Mediterranean coast with sudden, torrential rains. Two dams have collapsed under the pressure, sweeping entire neighbourhoods into the sea. More than 6,000 people have tragically lost their lives while at least 40,000 people who live in the area have been severely impacted. 

When disaster strikes, you can make a difference. UNICEF teams are mobilising staff and supplies, including safe water, hygiene kits, medical care and supplies, nutrition and clothing for children. By supporting us today, you can help Libyan children and families whose lives have been devastated by these floods. Please donate now. 

Families are facing catastrophic flooding and landslides in Libya after Storm Daniel came ashore on Sept. 10, 2023. Communities need urgent emergency support. We can’t do it alone. We need your help to always be there. No matter what. 

Libya Flood Emergency

Help Children in Libya

For children in Ukraine, it’s now been more than two years since their childhoods stopped and the fear, danger and suffering began. Millions of kids have been forced to flee their homes, and those left behind are struggling without clean water, sanitation, healthcare and education. We know times are tough – but we’re asking Kiwis to please give deep to help us continue supporting Ukrainian kids and families.

500 days of war have impacted children in Ukraine. Help UNICEF provide essential services including healthcare, clean water, education, and protection. Your donation can change lives.

Ukraine Emergency: Donate for Children's Survival

Help children in Ukraine

In Izium, Kharkivska oblast, nine-year-old Sasha and his sisters, eight-year-old Vika and four-year-old Maria, have received a special delivery – warm clothing sets and blankets from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), to help them endure the cold.

Receiving warm clothing will transform the children’s lives this winter. Marina, their mother, lost her job due to the war, so the family struggle to buy firewood to keep warm. They also lost many of their belongings in the fierce fighting of 2022.

Delivering warm winter clothing to kids in Ukraine

Ukraine Emergency

Climate change is the biggest threat facing kids today. From Aotearoa and the Pacific, to the farthest reaches of our planet – 1 billion children are facing increasingly frequent and more extreme climate emergencies. From cyclones to heatwaves, flooding to drought – an ever-growing number of kids are in danger. 

Climate change is the biggest threat facing kids today. 

From Aotearoa and the Pacific, to the farthest reaches of our planet – 1 billion children are facing increasingly frequent and more extreme climate emergencies. From cyclones to heatwaves, flooding to drought – an ever-growing number of kids are in danger. 

A staggering 90% of the world’s disasters are climate related. When a school is wiped out by floods, or a cyclone destroys a community health clinic, or drought kills a family’s crops – it’s children who are impacted the most. Every climate emergency further reduces their chances of a happy, healthy childhood. 

This is not the future, this is the now. Climate change is here, we have to act. 

You can support our work protecting kids against the effects of climate change. Donate now. 

Join UNICEF's mission to protect 1 billion children from the escalating threats of climate change. From sustainable solutions to emergency responses, your support can make a difference in Aotearoa and globally.

Children's Climate Crisis Appeal - Support Sustainable Solutions

Help children in climate crisis

A Year of Climate and Conflict Crisis for Children

Children’s Climate Emergency

This morning, millions of kids woke up hungry. No child should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from, yet today 1 in 4 children is living in severe food poverty. That’s 181 million kids in places like Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and Gaza that don’t have an equal opportunity to grow and develop to their full potential.

UNICEF Global Malnutrition Crisis: Together, we can save kid’s lives.

Help malnourished children

Global Malnutrition Crisis

We’re bringing clean water and quality pre-school education to kids in the Pacific – and we want your help. Join us to help give children in Vanuatu, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea the best start in life.

The Pacific Islands are our neighbours and it’s up to us to support them in making sure tamariki have the essentials for a happy and healthy childhood – like clean water and quality education.



In Vanuatu, Kiribati and the Solomon Islands, kids are getting sick because they don’t have clean water, toilets or handwashing facilities at their school. And in Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea and Kiribati, children’s education is suffering because they’re missing out on quality preschooling.

We’re bringing clean water and pre-school education to kids in the Pacific – and we want your help.

Our relationships with Governments, staff, communities and kids themselves drive the work that we do – from simple, sustainable projects to big-picture, national-level policy changes. 

Thanks to people like you, we’ve been able to innovate and create long-lasting change for Pacific tamariki! 



Donate for Pacific kids

Water and Education in the Pacific

These are just a few of the stories of UNICEF’s helpers who've risking their safety and lives every single day for the last 12 months, all of whom have their own families and loved ones.

The absence of schooling has caused children in Gaza to feel frustrated and isolated, leading to a lack of social and emotional development as well as cognitive development. The longer children are out of school, the greater the risk they will drop out permanently. UNICEF continues to work with implementing partners to provide recreational activities in support of children’s well-being. 

UNICEF Spokesperson Salim Oweis on education and mental health and psychosocial support in Gaza

Mazen Khudair, a dedicated head of the radiology department at Al Amal Hospital

Fairooz Abu Warda, UNICEF Early Childhood Development Officer

UNICEF whānau who've been in Gaza from the beginning

It’s been 12 months of unbelievable trauma and grief for millions of people.  Kids caught up in the violence have been the urgent focus for thousands of UNICEF staff - both those on the frontlines and those around the world working tirelessly to support the children affected by this conflict. During this time many of our donors and supporters have been asking questions and so we've answered a list of some of the most frequently asked ones.

Donate to the Children of Gaza Crisis Appeal

Gaza: 12 months on

The climate crisis will have a cascade of impact on the mental health of kids and their families for generations.  At UNICEF our interventions to address these are multi-pronged. Technology and innovation are crucial and practical ways to address the climate crisis and it’s knock on effects - but mental and emotional support is just as important in shifting the future for kids to one that’s more hopeful.

A Generation in Crisis

“When governments sign new oil and gas licences, they are signing away our future” – a damning indictment from the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the Pacific Islands Forum last week. An indictment that the New Zealand Government should pay heed to as it plans to open up oil and gas extraction once more. This reckless decision not only flies in the face of global commitments to lower emissions and keep warming to 1.5 degrees - it endangers the wellbeing of children here in Aotearoa, now and in the future.

Op-Ed: "Oil and gas extraction endangers the wellbeing of children here in Aotearoa"

With 2023 drawing to a close, the world has seen conflict, climate events, and natural disasters hit communities. It's thanks to our supporters, that UNICEF can ensure we’re always there for kids. Before, during, and after emergency strikes. So let’s take a look back at what you’ve helped us deliver this year.

Your Impact in 2023

UNICEF Aotearoa 2023 Impact

Medicines and nutrition supplies

Safe water and sanitation

Temporary learning spaces

Psychosocial support

UNICEF Supply Division's response to Pakistan Floods

Yemen Water Tower

We’ve covered prevention and detection in our three-part series on UNICEF’s integrated approach to the global children’s malnutrition crisis. Now for our last instalment, let’s talk treatment.

Treating Malnutrition

2024 UNICEF Young Ambassador, Ronan Payinda's reflections on the Parliamentary Forum for Children’s Rights

"In Aotearoa New Zealand, we pride ourselves on our sense of community"

Meet the young climate innovators changing the game!

The Good News, August Edition

1 billion kids around the world are at extremely high risk due to the climate crisis. About 5,000 of them live in Tuvalu. It isn’t just the land and people under threat, it’s a culture, an identity, and a way of life.

The Last Generation

Supporting Indigenous communities as they navigate the climate crisis.

The Good News, July Edition

This second edition of The Good News ties in with Earth Day 2024, an annual day to demonstrate our commitment to environmental protection.

The Good News, April Edition

The Good News, April edition

A new book for kids that we are proud to have collaborated on, called Avalanches, is set in Aotearoa and part of a series called COPE: Be Ready for Disasters.

COPE_Avalanches.pdf

How to COPE when disaster strikes

The impact of the climate crisis on global food insecurity and malnutrition has been ringing alarms for many years - but there's lots to be hopeful about too.

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The Good News, June Edition

Follow us on our journey from inception to the present as we re-visit memorable moments, milestones, and influential figures that have helped reshape the future of tamariki and rangatahi around the world.

Road to a Bright Future

Innovation and Tech: the tools to build a climate-resilient future

The Good News May Edition

A symbol of group strength and a unified voice, petitions have brought about real action and change throughout the ages.

petitions have brought about real action and change throughout the ages. These three significant movements in Aotearoa’s history show the power of collective voice and action.

The Power of Petition

Children and young people have a critical voice in shaping the response to the climate crisis.

Amplifying Youth Voices on Climate

Children and young people are the least responsible for the climate crisis, but they’ll continue to bear the heaviest burden. The Declaration of Children, Youth and Climate Action is putting children at the centre of climate action and policy to protect their futures.

Learn about the Declaration of Children, Youth and Climate Action and how it is putting children at the centre of climate action and policy to protect their futures.

Why the Declaration of Children, Youth and Climate Action is important for children's future

Putting Children's Futures First

We spoke to a few of our participants in the Beat Dan Carter Challenge who kicked as many goals as they could to help raise money for clean water and sanitation in the Pacific!

Kobe Jennings BDC Participant

Community Stories: The Beat Dan Carter Challenge

After 10 years of conflict, the situation for many children across Syria has never been worse with continuing violence and rights violations, food insecurity and a tumbling economy.

In the face of the decade-long Syrian conflict, children endure violence, displacement, and rights violations. UNICEF Aotearoa is at the forefront, offering trauma recovery, education, and essential humanitarian aid.

Safeguarding Syria's Children: UNICEF Aotearoa's Humanitarian Response

Syrian crisis

One month after devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, millions of children need continuing humanitarian support.

UNICEF's humanitarian response in earthquake affected regions of Türkiye and Syria.

One year on from the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes, UNICEF demonstrates unwavering commitment to kids in need. Children and families were left without access to essential services including safe water, education, and medical care. But even in the darkest of times, there’s always a glimmer of light. Thanks to the support of our donors, UNICEF was able to quickly scale up its response in the aftermath to help communities build back.

One year on from the aftermath of disaster, UNICEF demonstrates unwavering commitment to kids in need.

Hope and Resilience in Türkiye and Syria

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12 years of war in Syria has scarred a generation of children. UNICEF and partners have provided lifesaving healthcare, mental health support and safe spaces to continue education and humanitarian assistance.

12 years of war in Syria has scarred a whole generation of children. UNICEF donors and partners have ensured these children have not been forgotten and have provided lifesaving healthcare, mental health support and safe spaces to continue education and humanitarian cash assistance.

Children Growing up in Conflict: Resilience, Hope, and UNICEF's Support

Growing up in conflict

When the earthquake struck, UNICEF teams on the ground jumped into action. We’ve been working with local partners to respond to the evolving needs of thousands of kids and families impacted.

See what donor support looks like when disaster strikes

Hope when kids and families in Türkiye & Syria need it most

In remote Nuristan province, UNICEF is constructing water supply systems to bring clean, safe water to thousands of Afghanistan’s hardest to reach families. Thanks to clean water now available any time she needs it, Adila and her family can now cook, bathe, wash vegetables, and brew tea without worry about health and hygiene.

In remote Nuristan province, UNICEF is constructing water supply systems to bring clean, safe water to thousands of Afghanistan’s hardest to reach families.

A lifetime supply of water

A revolutionary tool for saving lives, 35-years in the making, has been rolled out in countries that need it most. 18 million doses of the first-of-its-kind vaccine against malaria is set to change the lives of kids in Africa. This is a historic step in health care! And it's all thanks to the dedicated support from partners and UNICEF donors.

First-ever malaria vaccine saves countless lives in Africa

Flipping the script on the climate change narrative; from doom and anxiety to inspiration and action.

The Giid News

The Good News

In the second of our three-part series about preventing, detecting, and treating malnutrition, we'll explore the importance of early detection of malnutrition in children and how we intervene quickly to mitigate severe health complications. Early detection not only makes treatment more successful and cost-effective but most importantly it saves lives and lessens any suffering.

Catching signs of malnutrition early

Sudan nutrition campaign in Gezira

Preventing, Detecting, and Treating Malnutrition: A three-part series about UNICEF’s integrated approach to the global children’s malnutrition crisis. In the first of this three-part series, we’ll explore the proven ways to prevent malnutrition before it happens and safeguard the health and wellbeing of children.

Preventing, Detecting, and Treating Malnutrition: A three-part series about UNICEF’s integrated approach to the global children’s malnutrition crisis.

Tackling the root causes of malnutrition

On the outskirts of Goma, new pumps and five kilometres of water lines have been installed to bring drinkable water from the local grid to camps where displaced families are currently staying.

Safe water in Nyiragongo

Towards the end of 2023, UNICEF Aotearoa CEO, Michelle Sharp together with UNICEF CEOs from Poland, Austria and Slovakia made a trip to the East African country of Djibouti. The purpose? To see the impact of UNICEF’s programmes, to meet the local communities benefitting from these programmes and to assess the potential of further developmental goals there.

Djibouti, one of Africa’s smallest countries with potential for growth

International Children’s Day in Timor-Leste - children of UNICEF and other UN Agencies staff today spent the afternoon decorating the UNICEF wall with their colourful painted palms.

This month, UNICEF Aotearoa together with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) and other partners, broke ground on a new climate resiliency project in Timor-Leste. Falling under the mandate of our Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme, this new water preservation project is set to change the course of Timor-Leste’s readiness for climate change.

Breaking ground in Timor-Leste: Climate Resilience through Nature Based Solutions

The Dhamar Water Solar tower is a prime example of UNICEF’s innovative work globally that aims to merge the generosity of donors with some of the best experts in the fields of sustainable technology.

This is the story of the Yemen Solar Water tower developed out of necessity, by UNICEF and partners that came up with a fossil fuel exit strategy to continue life-saving services for children and their families.

UNICEF creates game changing access to safe water in Yemen

Game-changing access to safe water in Yemen - Part 1

Right now there are many crises across the globe which are affecting children in unimaginable ways. As much as parents want to protect their kids from the news cycle, it is inevitable that they will find out about conflict and emergencies.

How to talk to your kids about conflict and emergencies

We’ve created a petition asking the New Zealand government to declare the climate crisis a children’s emergency in parliament.

Declaring for Climate Action

As an organization founded on advocating for child rights, one of UNICEF’s areas of focus is the climate crisis. Specifically, how to contribute to sustainable long-term solutions for tamariki whilst also supporting rangatahi in their contributions to the discourse. The UNICEF Aotearoa Young Ambassadors are on their way to COP 28 and as the biggest event on the global climate action calendar, this is a pretty big deal. Here’s a break down on what you should know…

As an organization founded on advocating for child rights, one of UNICEF’s areas of focus is the climate crisis. Specifically, how to contribute to sustainable long-term solutions for tamariki whilst also supporting rangatahi in their contributions to the discourse. The UNICEF Aotearoa Young Ambassadors are on their way to COP 28 and as the biggest event on the global climate action calendar, this is a pretty big deal.

What is COP and why are the voices of rangatahi so important

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Amidst an escalating conflict in 2017, a blockade of Yemen’s crucial port in Hudaydah disrupted the delivery of fuel and other essential supplies to the country. The blockade occurred as Yemen, already one of the world’s most water-scarce nations, was starting to see the very real impacts of climate change.

The Dhamar Solar Water Project cost just under $1.4 million to build, and is the biggest solar-powered water project in Yemen, securing a safe water supply for over 137,000 people in Dhamar Governate.

Statement by UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell on deadly strikes in Ukraine