News from the Field
November 28, 2012
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, UNICEF and Partners Help Children and Families on the Frontline of Conflict
Over the past week, fighting between the rebel group M23 and the Congolese Army has displaced thousands in North Kivu province, especially children and families. The conflict risks expanding to other parts of the country, and UNICEF and partners are acting fast: They are reunifying children with their families, keeping former child soldiers safe, increasing water chlorination, and preparing to distribute household, health, and school kits. This year, UNICEF requires more than $164 million to address the needs of children and women in D.R.C.
November 21, 2012
After Famine Conditions Have Ended, Health Centers Across Southern Somalia Help Children Suffering from Malnutrition
In 2011, famine was declared in several regions of Somalia after three years of poor or failed rains and ongoing civil insecurity. Famine conditions ended in February 2012. But more than two million Somalis are still considered to be at ‘emergency’ levels, and 236,000 children are acutely malnourished, mostly in the South. In the past six months, 90,000 severely malnourished children under five have been helped in more than 1,200 UNICEF-funded health centers across southern Somalia.
November 18, 2012
Treating Malnutrition in the Sahel: Sadie's Story
Starting at the end of 2011, a nutrition crisis gripped the Sahel belt that would ultimately affect part or all of nine countries—Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, the Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, the Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. An entire subregion suffered from poor rainfall and failed harvests. A UNICEF progress report released in December says that more than 850,000 children are expected to have received lifesaving treatment for severe acute malnutrition across the nine countries during the course of 2012.
November 16, 2012
In Ethiopia, a Community Protects Girls from Harmful Practices Including Child Marriage
In Ethiopia, child marriage and the abduction of girls are some of the harmful traditional practices that affect girls’ lives, choices and opportunities. Schools and communities are now taking measures to help protect girls. Girls can talk about their problems at their school’s girls’ club, and the Bureau of Education, with the support of UNICEF, has conducted community-wide discussions on harmful traditional practices. After the discussions, the community prepares its own set of laws in order to help correct the situation.
November 13, 2012
UNICEF Supports Syrian Refugee Families at Za'atari Refugee Camp in Jordan
The Za'atari camp is home to thousands of refugees who have fled violence in the Syrian Arab Republic. But life in the dessert can be trying: Some infants have difficulty breathing during dust storms, and parents struggle to keep cooking utensils clean. Yet all newborns are vaccinated, and are monitored by UNICEF for malnutrition. School-age children are returning to class, and UNICEF and partners are working to expand the camp’s school. The approaching winter is also a concern, and UNICEF is accelerating plans to prepare the camp for winter.
