Global Annual Results Report 2020: Goal Area 4
UNICEF made good progress towards Strategic Plan 2018-2021 Goal Area 4 targets in 2020. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services were maintained and expanded for millions of children and their families. Support was provided for child-centred disaster risk reduction and disaster recovery efforts, and UNICEF worked with partners to foster…, Goal Area 4 progress against 2020 targets across five output areas The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of a safe and clean environment for children. But it also underlined the fragility of systems and services upon which they rely. The numbers of households, health centres and schools without access to adequate water and hygiene…, WASH, Icon representing drinking water - water in a glass 17 million people gained access to safe drinking water services Icon representing sanitation - a toilet 13.4 million people gained access to basic sanitation services Icon representing sanitation - hand underneath a tap 110 countries implementing national community-based hand-washing programmes …, Hygiene, From the beginning of the pandemic, handwashing with soap was identified as the first line of defence against the transmission of COVID-19. In response, UNICEF significantly expanded handwashing promotion efforts through media and social media campaigns, and provided support to community-based handwashing promotion programmes in 110 countries,…, Menstrual health and hygiene, Improving menstrual health and hygiene for girls and women is a challenge in the best of times, during a global pandemic the challenge became that much greater. Through the ‘periods don’t stop for pandemics’ campaign, UNICEF helped girls and women get access to menstrual pads and culturally- and age-specific information and provided emergency…, Safe water supply, A total of 17 million people gained access to safe water services through UNICEF direct support in 2020, and an additional 30.2 million people were provided with short-term emergency water services, such as water trucking. Other people were reached through UNICEF advocacy efforts to waive tariffs and subsidise water utilities during the pandemic.…, Climate-resilient WASH, UNICEF is committed to promoting climate resilient WASH to ensure that benefits for children are realised now and in the future, and that WASH systems – and communities that depend on them – have the tools and support to cope with climate change. In 2020, UNICEF provided support for climate-resilient WASH solutions in a total of 46 countries. This…, WASH in schools and health centres, WASH in institutions programming was ramped up in 2020 in support of the global effort to address COVID-19, particularly in the areas of hygiene promotion, infection prevention and control, and ensuring the functionality of WASH systems. A key part of the COVID-19 emergency response was support for safe school reopening programmes through the…, Emergency WASH response, In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, WASH supplies and services were delivered to vulnerable populations in 120 countries, ultimately reaching 106 million people. The scale and scope of this support varied widely. In some countries UNICEF pitched in by delivering a few thousand bars of soap to a small number of targeted schools and health centres…, Sanitation, UNICEF helped 13.4 million people gain access to basic sanitation through regular programming in 2020, lower than targeted due to the difficulty of field work during the pandemic and shifting priorities. Almost three-quarters of these beneficiaries were in sub-Saharan Africa, where UNICEF focuses its direct support because it has the lowest…, WASH and gender, Through all its WASH programming, UNICEF works to promote the rights of women and girls in different ways. One is through WASH in schools programming, where UNICEF works to ensure that sanitation and hygiene facilities are girl-friendly: private, lockable, clean and with menstrual hygiene facilities and supplies. UNICEF ensured that COVID-19 …, WASH and disability, Children with disabilities have the same rights to water and sanitation as other children, but they may not be able to fully realize these rights due to lack of access to disability-inclusive and accessible facilities and services. Inaccessible sanitation can be particularly problematic for children (and adults) with disabilities, who can be…, Urban WASH, The shift towards a greater focus on urban programming continued in 2020 with the launch of the UNICEF global framework for urban WASH, the release of a new analysis of WASH coverage in urban areas with a focus on access disparities, and a significant increase in results for children in urban contexts through both development programming and…, Disaster risk reduction, resilience strengthening and peacebuilding, Icon representing risk - warning symbol and a falling arrow 56 countries had child-sensitive national or local risk management plans which address risks related to disasters, climate change, conflict, public health emergencies or other crises , Child-centred disaster risk reduction and recovery, Momentum continued on promoting child-centred disaster risk reduction and disaster recovery efforts both internally within UNICEF and together with partners. UNICEF efforts in this area are cross-sectoral and mainstreamed through all sectoral programming. UNICEF also ensured that COVID-19 responses were conflict-sensitive and supported social…, Peacebuilding and sustaining peace, UNICEF implemented peacebuilding programmes in 70 countries in 2020 - more than ever before - with the goals of bridging community and inter-generational divides, reducing social tensions and addressing the root causes of conflicts. These efforts leveraged UNICEF sectoral engagement in the areas of education, WASH, early child development, child…, Urban programming and local governance, Icon representing urban setting - a person surrounded by buildings 71 countries had data on intra-urban disparities, including girls and boys in informal settings, Urban programming, With more than 90 per cent of COVID-19 cases reported in urban areas, UNICEF developed global urban-specific guidance material to strengthen and adapt social services to respond to the health, social and economic crisis. Through regular programming, UNICEF supported urban and rural governments in 55 countries to make their development plans child-…, Local governance, As the level of governance closest to people, subnational and local governments play an important role in ensuring the fulfilment of child rights while reducing disparities and inequality. In 2020 UNICEF supported local governance systems strengthening and capacity building by engaging with multiple stakeholders at national, subnational and local…, Climate, energy and environment, Icon representing environmental sustainability - globe with a leaf 74 countries implemented child-inclusive programmes that foster climate resilience, environmental sustainability and low carbon development, Advocacy and evidence generation, Although not widely recognized, climate change is a child rights crisis because children bear the brunt of its impacts. UNICEF continues to make this a central theme of its global advocacy. For example, the briefing document Reimagining our Future: Building Back Better from COVID-19 presents a set of solutions to reduce the impact of COVID-19…, Engagement and empowerment of children and young people on climate, energy and the environment, Action on climate and the environment is driven by the energy of young people, and UNICEF programmes promote their engagement and empower them through education. In 2020, UNICEF worked in 106 countries to engage children and young people on advocacy, communication and campaigning around climate change and the environment. Through this support,…, Reducing emissions and pollution, Approximately 93 per cent of children under 15 – a total of 1.8 billion young people – breathe air that is so polluted it risks their health and development. UNICEF air pollution response programmes were being implemented in nine countries in 2020, including in Myanmar, where data was gathered on the sources of air pollution, youth networks were…, Internal sustainability/greening UNICEF, UNICEF has aligned its 2030 carbon reduction target to the 45 per cent reduction target (from 2016) set by the United Nations Secretary-General in September 2019, and will once again be recognized as carbon neutral after offsetting unavoidable emissions. In 2020 UNICEF conducted 23 internal eco-efficiency projects (including solar energy projects…, Looking forward, A young woman standing in a classroom in front of a blackboard A boy standing in front of solar panels and waving A girl standing in front of a white wall with colourful butterflies and flowers painted on it In 2020 UNICEF made good progress on its plans to help ensure a that every child lives in a safe and clean environment, despite the…, With thanks, This report highlights the achievements made possible by the generous contributions of softly earmarked thematic funding received from various partners. UNICEF would like to express it's sincere appreciation for these contributions. June 2021, Global Annual Results Report 2020 GOAL AREA 4 Every child lives in a safe and clean environment Cover image: UNICEF/UNI332257/Keta Hamsatou Bolly, 13 years old, became a child leader in the Socoura displacement camp, in Mopti, Mali, sensitizing other children on hand washing and COVID-19. Expression of thanks: UNICEF/UN0372916/Naftalin Five-year-…
