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Press release

Sweden donates US $ 5.6 million to UNICEF actions in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 11 July 2003 – The Government of Sweden has donated US $ 3.9 million for UNICEF emergency programmes in drought-affected areas. The donation will support emergency interventions targeting millions of children in acute need of food, safe water, shelter and protection against preventable diseases. This is the second emergency contribution to UNICEF Ethiopia from the Swedish Government this year, bringing the total amount of assistance to nearly US $ 5.6 million.

“In an emergency like this children are always the most vulnerable,” said Erik Korsgren, Counselor for Development Cooperation, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in Ethiopia. “We support UNICEF’s efforts to meet both their survival and development needs and we hope that other donors will follow our example and contribute toward fulfilling the immediate and longer-term needs of Ethiopian children”.

This contribution from the Swedish Government will provide 222,000 women and children with supplementary feeding under UNICEF’s emergency nutrition programme. The donation will also fund an emergency measles and Vitamin A campaign in 2004 targeting more than 8.3 million children between 6 months and 14 years. 100,000 people will benefit from emergency water supplies, sanitation and hygiene education, and 170,000 will receive shelter materials.

“The complexity of this emergency necessitates multifaceted interventions and sustained commitment in order to effectively assist those who are not able to fend for themselves,” said Abdelmajid Tibouti, officer-in-charge, UNICEF Ethiopia. “We need to ensure that children receive the right nutrition in their diet, have access to safe water and receive support and protection so that they can grow and develop. This generous contribution will strengthen UNICEF’s ability to save lives.”

As the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia has worsened over the last few months, UNICEF estimates that at least 60,000 children under five are acutely malnourished, with thousands of them requiring urgent therapeutic and supplementary feeding. Close to half of the population that is affected by drought is in acute need of safe water. Millions of children are at risk of getting sick from
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preventable diseases such as measles, which is estimated to take the lives of 72,000 Ethiopian children annually. 9.5 million children have been vaccinated against measles and received vitamin A supplements during the first half of 2003 with the support of UNICEF, with an additional 10 million children targeted during the second half of this year.

With this contribution the Government of Sweden has become one of UNICEF’s largest partners in the non-food area. The Government of Sweden’s support for UNICEF’s emergency response in Ethiopia compliments its longer-term development strategy in the country. This entails implementing a holistic package of interventions that both ensure and look beyond the immediate survival needs of children by making certain that their rights to education, health and protection are also addressed.

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For more information, please contact the UNICEF Communications Section,
telephone: 251-1-515155 or 444400; fax: 517111; e-mail: sbloemen@unicef.org