Emergencies
Emergencies threaten children’s lives, safety, learning and development. UNICEF works to protect children, keep essential services running and support recovery in Sierra Leone.
The situation
When emergencies happen, children’s daily lives can change overnight. Floods, disease outbreaks, climate shocks and economic pressures can disrupt health care, nutrition, education, protection and safe water services, while displacement can expose children to greater risks of malnutrition, interrupted learning, violence and exploitation.
Climate and environmental risks are increasing children’s vulnerability. Flooding and erratic rainfall can worsen food insecurity and malnutrition, while waterborne diseases such as dysentery and cholera threaten children’s health and development. Lack of safe water close to home can affect children’s safety and education, especially for girls. Displacement, weak social protection, plastic pollution and hazardous waste can further expose children to unsafe conditions and harmful forms of work.
Children from the poorest households and communities are often the least able to cope and recover. Repeated shocks can deepen poverty, weaken local systems and make it harder for families to protect children and rebuild after a crisis.
• Emergencies can interrupt the services children rely on, including health care, nutrition, education, protection and safe water.
• Displacement and repeated shocks can increase children’s risks of malnutrition, interrupted learning, violence, exploitation and family separation.
• Preparedness, early warning and climate resilience help protect children before, during and after crises, especially in the most vulnerable communities.
As a result, there is an increased need for improved planning and support to ensure communities’ overall resiliency and bolster the nation’s emergency preparedness for the future.
UNICEF in action
UNICEF delivers rapid, life-saving assistance during emergencies while helping keep essential services functioning and strengthening national systems to prepare for, respond to and recover from future shocks. This includes support for emergency health, nutrition, WASH, education, child protection and humanitarian cash assistance for vulnerable families.
UNICEF also works with partners to strengthen preparedness, disaster risk reduction, early warning and climate resilience, ensuring that emergency response not only saves lives but also helps communities recover faster and strengthens the systems children rely on.
Community-based disaster risk reduction efforts are being implemented across 17 coastal and island communities in five districts, with more than 200 community members trained to support local adaptation and mitigation plans.
Through a social protection scheme, UNICEF provides cash transfers to vulnerable households as a means to improve their resilience to and more rapidly recover from shocks.