Amid crises, UNICEF USA launches program to help kids in US

For more than 70 years, U.S. affiliate of UNICEF has supported global work of that U.N. ncy, most of it focused on aiding children in developing countries. On Wednesday, amid overlapping domestic crises, UNICEF USA anunced its first major program supporting children in United States.

Michael Nyenhuis, UNICEF USA’s president and CEO, said his ncy will be investing $1 million this year on an initiative to help U.S. cities become more child-friendly. He said Houston, Minneapolis and San Francisco are first cities to commit to program, with Prince George’s County in Maryland expected to follow soon.

“Children in our country don’t fare as well as children in or wealthy countries around world, so we have a lot of work to do,” Nyenhuis said.

“n you magnify reality of that with COVID crisis and issues of racial injustice , and you say, ’Something’s wrong,'” he ded. “ answer is probably best found at municipal level rar than federal level.”

initiative’s goal is to encour cities to make mselves safer for children, and ensure re is equitable access to social programs, parks and playgrounds. Participating cities also will be urged to find ways for children to participate in civic life, for example through formation of an visory council comprised of young people.

Wednesday’s anuncement was timed to occur on International Youth Day.

UNICEF, founded in 1946, has devoted most of its efforts over deces to children in developing countries who are disvantd by poverty, war, disease and disasters, although it occasionally has supported programs in industrialized countries.

In United States, UNICEF supported children affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, helping reunite children with ir families and providing school-in-a-box kits. More recently, UNICEF and UNICEF USA worked with U.S.-based n-governmental ncies to assist migrant children on U.S. side of border with Mexico.

UNICEF USA's primary work over years has been to promote and raise funds for UNICEF’s work in or countries, and it will continue to provide such support.

Nyenhuis said new initiative will be its first ongoing program aimed at supporting American children across country, though re have been temporary operations in specific areas of U.S.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner last year became first U.S. mayor to join or mayors from around world to sign a UNICEF-backed manifesto pledging to make ir cities more child-friendly.

Turner, in a telephone interview, said he was excited to be connecting with roughly 3,500 municipalities in 40 countries which are part of UNICEF’s Child Friendly Cities Initiative.

"When it comes to establishing best practices and strategies to create safer, more inclusive cities for our children, this is an ideal network," he said.

He expressed particular concern about children from Black, Lati and or mirity families.

“se communities of color were alrey on margins, and new shocks and stresses have pushed m even furr,” he said. “Children are ones having to bear brunt of all this.”

UNICEF USA has selected several young people to be national youth vocates for Child Friendly Cities Initiative. Among m is Rimsha Sayed, 19, who is heing into her sophomore year at University of Houston and hopes to go on to medical school.

Sayed also hopes city develops a school-based program to raise awareness among students about dangers of human trafficking. She said it was t until her junior year in high school that she learned that Houston was a major hub for trafficking.