UNICEF’s largest-ever purchase of life-saving supplies was driven by children’s ever-increasing requirements.

In 2022, UNICEF broke records for procurement for the sixth year in a row to meet the growing demands of children all over the world. This included the distribution of 3.4 billion doses of the vaccine, 2.1 billion tablets for purifying water, 38.1 million long-lasting insecticide nets, 162,000 education kits, and enough ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to treat approximately 5.1 million severely wasting children.

The growing needs of children and families coping with new and ongoing humanitarian emergencies in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, and the Sahel fueled the record-breaking value of supplies and services procured by UNICEF to US$7.383 billion, a 93% increase from pre-pandemic levels.

According to Etleva Kadilli, Director of UNICEF’s global supply and logistics operations, “UNICEF’s procurement level in 2022 underscores a global confluence of crises, with more children in need of humanitarian assistance than at any time since the Second World War.” UNICEF took immediate action, collaborating with governments, partners, and donors, to provide vulnerable children and their families with essential supplies and to strengthen the systems that children rely on, such as education, water, and sanitation.

The UNICEF Supply Annual Report, which was released today, says that the organization delivered emergency supplies to 140 countries and regions and transported over 244,000 metric tons of supplies to 162 countries and areas. This is the equivalent weight of 1,200 Boeing 747 aircraft. In addition, UNICEF distributed 977.9 million doses for COVID-19 vaccination campaigns and 2.4 billion doses of the routine vaccine to reach 45% of the world’s children under the age of 5.

A 90 percent increase in the procurement of nutrition supplies between 2021 and 2022 is also highlighted in the report as a response to the growing global hunger crisis and increased demand for RUTF. Enormous scope conveyances occurred to the Horn of Africa, where five progressive bombed blustery seasons in the beyond three years have left over 1.9 million kids in danger of kicking the bucket from extreme unhealthiness.

Last year, UNICEF awarded a contract for the first-ever supply of a malaria vaccine, marking a significant development in child health. Following successful pilot programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, the breakthrough was recommended for widespread use in countries with moderate to high malaria transmission by the World Health Organization (WHO). UNICEF is working with accomplices to guarantee a sound intestinal sickness immunization market, gauge interest, and get and convey the immunization, which will assist with safeguarding against one of the main sources of death for youngsters under 5 years old.

UNICEF’s global supply hubs in Copenhagen, Brindisi, Dubai, Guangzhou, and Panama City are crucial to its emergency response efforts because they store supplies that can be delivered as quickly as possible to children and their families. These hubs, strategically positioned all over the world, packed and delivered 409,000 kits to support children’s healthcare, education, and safety. The kits included medicines, school supplies, and supplies for sanitation and hygiene.

In 2022, UNICEF expanded on its partnerships with the transportation and logistics industries in an effort to alleviate the pressures on humanitarian supply chains and the resulting bottlenecks. On account of cooperative activity, UNICEF had the option to convey basic guide by gave air, ocean and street transport to 27 nations.

UNICEF remains committed to providing children with the essential supplies and services they require to survive and thrive in the face of war, disease outbreaks, climate change, food and nutrition crises, and other threats to their well-being.