UNICEF flagship report: children in 28 countries face exceptional crises
Chris Niles, UNICEF
© UNICEF/NYHQ2009-0565/Ramoneda
A displaced girl queues for food at Chota Lahore camp in North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. UNICEF's Humanitarian Action Appeal 2010 requests $1.16 billion to assist tens of millions of emergency-affected children and their families.
NEW YORK (February 5, 2010) — As much of the international community continues to focus attention on the disaster in Haiti, UNICEF's flagship Humanitarian Action Report emphasizes the critical role of partnerships in assisting vulnerable children and families caught in crisis situations worldwide.
The Humanitarian Action Report, launched today, is UNICEF's only publication dealing specifically with the needs of children and women in emergencies. It spotlights crises that require exceptional support, and additional funding, to save lives and protect children from harm in an increasingly challenging humanitarian environment.
This year's report—subtitled "Partnering for children in emergencies"—says the world is seeing crises exacerbated by larger trends, such as climate change and the international financial downturn, that are beyond the capacity of any one agency to address.
» View Humanitarian Action Appeal 2010 photo essay
Unprecedented challenges
© UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0022/LeMoyne
Survivors of Haiti's devastating January 12 earthquake camp near the ruined presidential palace. Natural disasters in Latin America and the Caribbean now affect up to 10 million people annually.
"The number of children affected by humanitarian disasters and crises, by hunger and malnutrition, is increasing significantly," said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Hilde F. Johnson. "Children are put at grave risk. It's unprecedented."
At the same time, armed conflict continues to blight the lives of millions of children.
"In countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, DR Congo and Sudan, emergencies are becoming more and more complex," Johnson noted. "Children are subject to abuse and grave violations of their rights. This includes sexual violence, killing and maiming, and forced recruitment into armed groups."
Ensuring children's rights
© UNICEF/NYHQ2008-1312/Asselin
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a woman shelters other families in a zone plagued by sexual violence. In West and Central Africa, humanitarian crises are exacerbated by poverty and high food prices.
The new Humanitarian Action Report emphasizes the need to ensure that all children's rights are secured in a world that has just celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
To that end, the report appeals for nearly $1.2 billion in international donor funding for emergency-response efforts in 28 countries covering six regions—from Eastern Europe to Africa to Asia to Latin America. The funding will be used to support a greater emphasis on emergency preparedness, early warning, disaster risk reduction and rapid recovery.
The report points out that UNICEF—working with communities, governments and civil society organizations—is developing new approaches to help vulnerable nations prepare for threats and respond to emergencies quickly and effectively.
"The crises that we now face are unparalleled," said Johnson. "It's only by working with and through partners that we can deliver on our mission: to protect children in crises, respond to their needs and help fulfill their rights."
