UNICEF is the lead agency for all children
Saving lives, protecting childhood for all children, irrespective of the political context in which they live
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© UNICEF/oPt/Iyad El Baba |
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Palestinians taking shelter at a United Nations school in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Jan. 6, 2009. |
UNICEF promotes the rights of all children everywhere. We focus on children on both sides of conflicts and we will continue to do so.
UNICEF is the sector lead in education, nutrition, water and sanitation and child protection, providing leadership for the coordination of program sector planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting processes.
UNICEF needs US$ 20,000,000 to meet the increasing demands of children and women in the Gaza strip, which will include the following initiatives:
HEALTH
1. Management of severe acute malnutrition and preventing child under-nutrition
- Emergency management of severe acute malnutrition to reduce disabilities and deaths in children in Hebron, Jenin, Tubas, Salfit, Jordan Valley and Nablus (West Bank; North Gaza, Khan Younis and Rafah – Gaza strip).
- Activities will include monitoring the nutrition status and outcomes for children as part of the integrated disease surveillance system, promoting and using ready-to-use therapeutic foods to manage severe acute malnutrition in primary care facilities and outreaches; conducting training on SAM and health education of primary health care providers and their supervisors and supporting 114 preschools.
- Beneficiaries: 420,000 Children under five at risk (250,000 in Gaza) and (70,000 in the West Bank).
2. Emergency support to reduce Newborn and Childhood illnesses and deaths
- Increased access to quality primary health care for Children in North Gaza, Rafah, Khan Younis–Gaza strip; Tubas, Salfit, South Hebron, Jenin and Nablus.
- Activities will include providing essential drugs, equipment and tools for clinically assessing and managing sick children and training primary health care providers and their supervisors.
- Beneficiaries: 300,000 Children under five (250,000 in Gaza); 50,000 (West Bank).
PROTECTION
3. Sports and recreational opportunities and psychosocial support (Early Recovery)
- Sports and recreational opportunities for children and adolescents (50% girls) and psychosocial support in 100 safe play areas in target areas.
- Activities will include facilitating peer support sessions for distressed groups of children and adolescents to mitigate the increased stress and implementing regular structured recreational activities in safe play areas aimed at restoring normalcy in children’s and adolescents’ lives.
- Beneficiaries: 100,600 young children, adolescents, caregivers (100,000 children and 600 caregivers)
4. Psychosocial support mechanism for families and children (Humanitarian)
- 14 psychosocial teams to provide front line services to strengthen the coping and protection capacity of children and families affected by the ongoing conflict.
- Activities will include emergency assessment of and, response to the holistic psychosocial needs of children seriously effected by conflict; guidance and assistance to parents in the support and protection of their children against the effects of conflict related violence and social and emotional support to parents and their children through the services of a toll free line.
- Beneficiaries: 110,840 persons (75,000 children, 20,380 women; 15,000 fathers; and 460 professionals)
WATER AND SANITATION
5. Emergency water supply and WASH emergency kits and tools
- Emergency Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and People without access to Water and Sanitation.
- Activities will include supplying safe drinking water to IDP in schools, public buildings and areas affected by the incursion; constructing or improving public toilets for IDPs; and supplying emergency WASH materials and equipments such as storage tanks and family hygiene kits.
- Beneficiaries: 80,000 people (around 75% are children and women)
6. Rehabilitation of urgent water and wastewater facilities in West Bank and Gaza
- Restore basic and urgent water supply and sanitation services to the most affected population and areas.
- Activities will include rehabilitating urgent sewage networks, and sewage works in Gaza; rehabilitating water networks and replacement of damaged pipes; supplying spare parts, and consumables to water and wastewater facilities and strengthening embankments of sewage lagoons.
- Beneficiaries: 150,000 men, women and children (estimated)
Update: 14 January 2009
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