UNICEF thanks the European Union for generous funding to protect and educate children in Libya

TUNIS, Tunisia, 14 August 2017 – UNICEF received €11 million from the European Commission to implement work for the most vulnerable children in Libya.

Across Libya, there are 439,000 children in need of protection services. Migrant children in Libya are particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, including in detention centres.

This project is implemented in the framework of the €90 million programme "Managing mixed migration flows in Libya through expanding protection space and supporting local socioeconomic development" financed by the North of Africa Window of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. The main objective of this programme is to comprehensively reinforce protection and resilience of migrants, refugees and host communities in Libya while supporting an improved migration management along the migration routes in the country.

“The number of vulnerable children In Libya is growing every day. Thousands of migrant children are transiting through Libya going through dangers and perils. Many others have become internally displaced due to violence, conflict and poverty. They all want a better life. Deprived, unprotected and often alone, vulnerable children in Libya are in dire need for assistance and protection”, UNICEF Special Representative, Dr Ghassan Khalil highlighted.

Through this funding, UNICEF will be able to continue its “Resilience Building” programme to provide access to quality, inclusive and improved child protection and non-formal education opportunities to the most vulnerable children including migrants, refugees, internally displaced, returnees and children from host communities.

Note to Editors:

• The main objective of UNICEF programme is to reinforce protection and resilience of all vulnerable children in Libya while supporting to strengthen the national institutions.
• Thanks to this contribution from the EU, 50,000 vulnerable girls and boys will receive psychosocial support care and education services and the capacities of 2,000 teachers and social workers will be strengthened in emergency education.