♦ UNICEF Day is observed every year on December 11 to remind people how important it is to protect children’s rights and improve their lives. UNICEF was formed on December 11, 1946, soon after World War II.

♦ The aim at that time was to help children who were suffering because of the war.  In the 1950s, UNICEF broadened its focus to also help meet the long-term needs of children and women in developing countries. In 1953, UNICEF changed its name to United Nations Children’s Fund, but it still goes by its original name, UNICEF.