Emergency action to save lives in West and Central Africa
Dakar, Senegal, 4 February 2010 – Today UNICEF releases its Humanitarian Action Report 2010 which calls for $1.2 billion in funding for emergency responses in 28 Countries around the world. For the West and Central Africa region the report seeks $263 million to respond to the needs of children and women affected by emergency situations in Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Mauritania and Niger. Additional funds are also requested to address smaller-scale emergencies or post-conflict transitions in Benin, Cameroon, the Congo, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali and Togo. The current global financial crisis coupled with higher food prices, seasonal shortages of crops and reduced demand for raw materials are exacerbating acute malnutrition rates and jeopardizing any gains in human development in the region, especially among the poorest and most vulnerable people. Further, a number of countries in West Africa are increasingly facing challenges posed by climatic hazards, in particular flooding. With flooding comes outbreaks of infectious diseases such as cholera, measles, meningitis and polio. Innovative collaboration is crucial to ensure delivery of vital support, services and protection, to advocate for policy change and deliver essential services to children for those affected by disaster and conflict, and supporting recovery. In any emergency, UNICEF is hard at work with its partners to provide life-saving support, protect children from the worst forms of violence and abuse and ensure access to water and sanitation, health care, nutrition and education. This funding appeal seeks to allow this lifesaving work to continue in a predictable, timely, and effective manner.  Learn more
For more information, please contact: Gaelle Bausson
|
with video