For over 70 years, UNICEF has been the defender of children around the world, regardless of gender, religion, race or economic background. When the world’s most vulnerable need a champion in the face of conflict, disease or exclusion, UNICEF has been there.

Over these 70 years, the world has changed, but children’s needs have not. Children must be have access to basic services, be safe, be nurtured – and have the support of loving caregivers, the front line in achieving child rights. Meet some of these caregivers, and learn about how UNICEF supported families like theirs throughout 2016.

© UNICEF 2016/UN037442/Gilbertson VII Photo

In a refugee shelter in Mariendorf, Berlin, Germany, Amira Raslan comforts her son Amr, seven, after their harrowing journey from the Syrian Arab Republic. UNICEF works with migrant and refugee families and also with host communities, to promote the social inclusion of refugee children. For every child, community.

© UNICEF 2016/UN038640/Pirozzi

Mariam, seven, lies in the grass with her mother at Boghossian Gardens, Yerevan, Armenia. The little girl, who has cerebral palsy, dreams of becoming a singer or a doctor. UNICEF promotes accessible and inclusive learning spaces for all children. For every child, education.

© UNICEF 2016/UN025503/Schermbrucker

A woman embraces her daughter in the early morning light outside of their home in Imizamu Yethu Township, South Africa. UNICEF works with governments around the world to provide maternal and child healthcare. For every child, health.

© UNICEF 2016/UN034425/Rich

Eliza kisses her baby, Jal Puok, one, at the Mercy Hospital, Juba, South Sudan. UNICEF provides life-saving treatment to hundreds of thousands of children like Jal Puok each year. In 2016, over 180,000 children were treated for severe acute malnutrition in South Sudan alone. For every child, nutrition.

© UNICEF 2016/UN027716/Al-Issa

A mother shelters with her child at the Teshreen kindergarten in Aleppo, Syrian Arab Republic. In 2016, 436,000 children and adults were reached with UNICEF child protection and psychosocial support programs in the Syrian Arab Republic. For every child, safety.

© UNICEF 2016/UN026654/Everett

Angelina Nyangang Gattiek (centre), 15, cries upon reuniting with her mother (left), who laughs with joy as they embrace at the Protection of Civilians site near Juba, South Sudan. UNICEF and its partners have helped thousands of families reunite. For every child, love.

© UNICEF 2016/UN040092/Romenzi

Escaping from conflict in Mosul, a mother and two children walk past a checkpoint in Qayyara, Iraq. UNICEF provides emergency assistance to displaced families. For every child, help.

© UNICEF 2016/UN033157/LeMoyne

Sandra sits on a diving board with her daughter, Sandriely, 15, a competitor in the Brazilian School Paralympics. UNICEF helps children reach their full potential with progammes for children with disabilities, like Sandriely. For every child, play.

© UNICEF 2016/UN041144/Fuad

Malkah Ahmed Saleh rests with her daughter in a makeshift shelter in the Tharawan camp for internally displaced persons on the outskirts of Sana’a, Yemen. UNICEF provides basic social services to the most vulnerable. In 2016, 390,000 children received psychosocial support in Yemen. For every child, a fair chance.

© UNICEF 2016/UN033157/LeMoyne

Alishia Gentle, three, gets a hug from her aunt and caretaker, Tracy Moody, in Belize City, Belize. UNICEF supports young children with funding for early childhood development programs. For every child, a fair start.

© UNICEF 2016/UN012799/Georgiev

In a tent in a camp for migrants and refugees in Idomeni, Greece, a mother feeds her child. UNICEF works with governments to ensure the fundamental rights of the child are respected. For every child, care.

© UNICEF 2016/UN015787/Prinsloo

In Minawao refugee camp in northern Cameroon, Fati (named changed), 15, hugs her mother Mariam (left) while carrying her little sister. UNICEF works to provide shelter for refugees fleeing conflict in northern Nigeria and elsewhere. For every child, dignity.

© UNICEF 2016/UN030727/Zehbrauskas

Sara Dinora Ramos, from Honduras, bathes her baby girl April, four months, at the Senda de Vida shelter in Reynosa, Mexico. UNICEF works to protect migrants like the Ramos family by advocating for their rights throughout their journey. For every child, clean water.

©UNICEF/UN025191/Troppoli

Yadira Zambrano holds her sleeping infant, Elias, in Bijagual, Ecuador. UNICEF and its partners are working to reduce the levels of mosquito-borne diseases to protect children like Elias. For every child, survival.

© UNICEF 2016/UN018538/Chikondi

At Bwaila Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi, Sara embraces her infant son. UNICEF works to improve the survival rates of newborns and children under five years old. For every child, vaccines.

Despite — and because of — the complexities of our world, in 2016, UNICEF’s commitment to children and their families was steadfast.

For every child, hope.