Germany contributes additional €7.2 million for the delivery of health services and bolster the COVID-19 emergency response
21 October 2020 - In the midst of the global COVID-19 crisis, the Government of Germany has underscored its continued commitment in investing in the strengthening of health services in Somalia by contributing an additional €7.2 million to UNICEF for use in Puntland.
The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), through the German Development Bank (KfW), has invested in strengthening health systems and services in Puntland and has made a total contribution of €23.5 million to date.
UNICEF, in close coordination with Puntland authorities and local partners, are working tirelessly to ensure that the delivery of basic services is not disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. This latest contribution will focus on providing support to health centers and hospitals in the two regions of Mudug and Nugal. Alongside, the COVID-19 response, health interventions will focus on child and maternal health, routine immunization and treatment of common illness with an estimated reach of over 1 million people including 250,000 children under five years old.
“We are very grateful for the consistent support from the Government of Germany,” said Jesper Moller, UNICEF Somalia Representative a.i. “This new funding will not only provide immediate life-saving services, it will also further build on the investments that the German Government has made within the health sector for long-term development outcomes.”
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UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.
UNICEF has been working in Somalia since 1972 when its first office opened in Mogadishu. Today UNICEF has over 300 staff working in Mogadishu, Baidoa, Dollow, Garowe, Hargeisa and also Nairobi, Kenya. Together with 200 international and national NGOs and community-based organizations, UNICEF delivers services in Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education and Child Protection, and responds to emergencies and supports peace-building and development.
