Q and A - UNICEF at work in Somalia
The UNICEF programme in Somalia is undertaken through three main offices in Somalia, each covering a distinct zone: Hargeisa, “Somaliland” - the Northwest Zone (NWZ) In the CSZ, there is an office in Jowhar and liaison offices in Baidoa, Mogadishu and Kismayo. The three main offices have full complements of international and national UNICEF staff members, coordinated by a Resident Programme Officer (RPO).
Somalia remains volatile, beset by internal political crisis and conflict, a country severely affected by the repercussions of more than ten years of war, economic decline and destruction. Already one of the poorest countries in the world at the onset of the nineties, conditions of extreme poverty now largely prevail, with very few services and grave health risks experienced by the most vulnerable groups, children and women.
The UNICEF country programme covers interventions working through families and communities in the fields of health and nutrition, water and environmental sanitation, and education, and also covers activities for social mobilisation, advocacy and support to policy development. Examples of what a media visit might take in include:
A key motive for UNICEF in facilitating journalists to travel into Somalia is to expose them to the range of activities the organization carries out in pursuit of its mandate on behalf of children and women. Consequently to encourage better informed coverage in the media: of both the pressing needs and of the actions communities and the international humanitarian agencies are taking together to improve the situation.
UNICEF in Somalia: Questions and Answers for the Media.
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