Overview
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© Rula Halawani |
Children’s quality of life and well-being continues to decline rapidly for the eighth year in a row. Israeli military incursions, closures, curfews and internal Palestinian violence mar children’s daily lives.
Children are at risk of being killed, injured or detained. In 2008, a total of 38 children were killed between 1 January and 5 March, a rise from the 2007 monthly average of four children killed .
Frequent violence disrupts children’s education, particularly in the northern and southern West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Curfews, closures and movement restrictions impede children’s and teachers’ ability to access schools. In sum, these conditions negatively impact children’s ability to learn, their concentration and their performance at school. Children also have limited opportunities for extracurricular activities, which are vital in the development of life skills.
Through staff in Jerusalem, Gaza, Nablus, Jenin and Hebron, UNICEF works with the Palestinian Authority and a broad range of partners to protect children and women from the impact of violence, and to prevent further deterioration in their condition and well-being.
UNICEF’s programmes in health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education, protection, adolescent participation, advocacy, social policy, and monitoring and evaluation are based on the priorities of the 2008-2010 Palestinian Reform and Development Plan, and the goals outlined in the Millennium Declaration and World Fit for Children Agenda. UNICEF-assisted programmes will focus on longer-term development interventions that support lasting change for children, while meeting the needs of children in times of acute crisis.
In 2008, UNICEF with its partners will support the development of laws and policies that protect children’s rights, strengthen Palestinian institutional capacity for service delivery to children and provide needed supplies. To address the needs of the most marginalized children in seam zones and enclaves affected by the Barrier, UNICEF will carry out a vulnerability mapping exercise. This will ensure that those currently without basic health and education services will receive them, along with support towards creating a protective environment free from abuse, violence and exploitation.
Convergence in programming will also be a key strategy. All UNICEF-supported programmes will work in an integral fashion to meet the needs of children in eight districts where child indicators lag behind. These districts include Gaza City, northern Gaza, Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, and Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah/Al Bireh and Hebron in the West Bank .
ABOUT UNICEF WORLDWIDE
UNICEF operates in 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. As the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
UNICEF FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
UNICEF is appealing for $US 20.5 million to fund emergency activities in health, nutrition, water, sanitation, education, adolescents and child protection in 2008. As of May, UNICEF had received 37 per cent of its funding target. UNICEF will also spend up to $US 11.4 million on development programmes.
The below chart represents the 2008 CAP Funding Requirements:
