UNICEF USA: Saving Children in Crisis Advances American Priorities | Opinion
By Patrick Quirk
At the root of historic migration flows and upticks in terrorist recruitment is a lack of support and resources for at-risk children. If we want to curb migration at our borders and limit the ability of drug cartels, terrorist organizations and armed groups to recruit at-risk youth into their ranks, we need to provide children with more access to nutrition, water, hygiene and sanitation services, education and economic opportunities in their communities of origin. On World Children’s Day, let’s recommit American resources and foreign aid to support children and keep them out of reach from these dangerous and destabilizing circumstances.
We can start with effective and efficient delivery of U.S. humanitarian responses to global emergencies aligned with active U.S. foreign policy priorities.
The United States recently terminated its sanctions on Syria to support the country’s recovery following the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. With the Trump administration signaling its support for the interim Syrian government, the country has an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild, mitigate threats to children and unify its people. We can maximize the White House’s effort in Syria by ramping up American soft power in the country—starting with foreign aid.
Organizations like UNICEF have a long history of delivering life-changing humanitarian aid to children in Syria. Even as the country spiraled into a decade-long civil war, UNICEF enhanced aid delivery and services for young people and families in Syria to meet rising demands for health care, access to clean water, nutrition, education and more. In 2024 alone, UNICEF’s lifesaving programs helped 2.2 million children and women access basic health care, educated 1.8 million children and protected 560,000 children and caregivers from explosives. These efforts ultimately help reduce migration from destabilized countries like Syria, improve regional stability and prevent infectious diseases from reaching U.S. borders. Humanitarian aid is a natural complement to America’s global economic enforcement and kinetic capabilities and can help protect U.S. national security interests across the Middle East.
We also can’t ignore opportunities to demonstrate American soft power in Africa. Aflame in civil war, Sudan is experiencing some of the world’s most widespread violence, devastation and displacement. Despite significant challenges on the ground in Sudan, UNICEF is delivering ready-to-use therapeutic food to address severe malnutrition, supporting frontline health workers as 70 percent of hospitals in conflict-affected areas are inoperative and extending education and skills training to children who have been impacted by years of conflict.
UNICEF is also in place to support surrounding African nations, like South Sudan, one of the poorest nations in the world, where systems are stretched thin from migration outflows emanating from the conflict by its northern neighbor. South Sudan has experienced severe human trafficking and the use of child soldiers by government and non-state armed groups. But UNICEF is on the ground there, working to deter the recruitment and use of children in conflict and helping former child soldiers reintegrate into their communities. UNICEF helped secure the release of 15 boys in South Sudan who were prisoners of war and forced into armed groups.
By providing medical care, counseling, education and a safe place to live, UNICEF programs and frontline workers help children reclaim their lives and futures—and most importantly, undermine the efforts of armed groups operating in Eastern Africa. UNICEF’s hands-on work in Sudan and South Sudan helps reduce displacement across the region, which ultimately decreases humanitarian emergencies and refugee flows. By stabilizing communities in some of Africa’s most fragile countries, UNICEF restores children’s livelihoods, prevents dangerous threats from reaching American shores and advances national security interests.
Children are a key to global stability. Providing them with food, basic health care, education and programs to combat recruitment into armed groups helps limit migration, tamp down deadly diseases and mitigate conflicts from spiraling into further disorder, death and chaos. Amid ongoing debates about America’s appetite for foreign aid spending, we can’t forget how frontline humanitarian organizations are saving and improving the lives of vulnerable children overseas, while on the same coin delivering on a healthier and safer world for children here at home. Congress must take notice and ensure these critical programs are adequately funded.
