Together, we can make a difference to the lives of children across this diverse and vibrant region. Your support can bring hope, and a brighter future to countless children.
Join the Movement and Be a Champion for Children
West and Central Africa is home to 12% of the world’s children yet this region bears a disproportionate share of the global burden of key child rights deprivations. Children now account for almost half of all Africa’s population, and by 2055 Africa will be home to one billion children. By the end of the century, it is projected that Africa will be home to nearly half of the world's children.
Globally West and Central Africa accounts for:
31%
of deaths in under-5 children
42%
of maternal deaths
19%
of stunted children
>50%
of under5s not reaching their full development
2nd
highest HIV burden globally
33%
out-of-school children and adolescents
Highest
Ranking region of adolescents neither studying, in training or working
46 million
adolescent girls and boys are without any hygiene facilities and services
![A mother smiling while carrying her newborn baby](/wcaro/sites/wcaro/files/styles/responsive_tablet/public/2023-09/UN0640685.jpg?itok=9w3U0Vau)
Your Donation Matters
![A little girl sitting on the floor and eating from a place](/wcaro/sites/wcaro/files/styles/responsive_tablet/public/2023-09/UN0841716.jpg?itok=OShWVmoV)
First Foods: Re-imagining nutrition
Through the "First Foods" initiative, UNICEF aims to create transformational change to enable access to the most needed nutritious and diverse foods for every young child in every context.
![A close up of a mother holding her baby](/wcaro/sites/wcaro/files/styles/responsive_tablet/public/2023-09/UN0794091.jpg?itok=gPjfI2jB)
Sahel Crisis: Putting this emergency on the map
The Sahel is children's crisis. Help meet humanitarian needs in this region, as well as lessening the impact of insecurity and environmental hazards on increasingly vulnerable children in neighboring Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Togo.
![A father and his three children holding their birth certificates](/wcaro/sites/wcaro/files/styles/responsive_tablet/public/2023-09/UN0711973.jpg?itok=Xoa7ts11)
Giving children everywhere an identity
Join us on our new initiative as we link birth registration with health services. For just $2, one child can be registered and given a legal identity, the cornerstone of other rights. Your contribution will help break down the wall between the seen and the unseen, the heard and the unheard, the counted and the uncounted.
Together let's take action for children in West and Central Africa!
Got Questions? We've Got Answers.
Your donation is used to support UNICEF's programmes for children in need in West and Central Africa.
We use SSL encryption to protect your information and ensure that your donation is secure. In addition, we are PCI certified. Your card and personal data will be safe and secure.
Yes, you will receive an automatic Thank You email which can be used as a receipt for your donation.
Currently, your donation will be used to support UNICEF’s work in the region, which may include First Foods, the Sahel crises, and birth registrations initiatives.
You can reach out to us through the contact information provided on our website. We are here to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have.