The United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF is a United Nations Program headquartered in New York City that provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It is one of the members of the United Nations Development Group and its Executive Committee.
UNICEF was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II. Ludwik Rajchman, a Polish bacteriologist, is regarded as the founder of UNICEF and was its first chairman from 1946 to 1950. In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations System and its name was shortened from the original United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund but it has continued to be known by the popular acronym based on this previous title.
| Abbreviation | UNICEF |
|---|---|
| Formation | December 1946 |
| Type | Fund |
| Legal status | Active |
| Headquarters | New York City |
Head
|
Anthony Lake |
Parent organization
|
United Nations Economic and Social Council |
| Website | UNICEF official site |
