THE United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) is appealing for US$84,9 million to fund its emergency response to assist children and women affected by the El Niño-induced drought.
Unicef said the funding will provide life-saving interventions to 1,34 million people, including 866 000 children.
“Unicef is particularly concerned about children’s vulnerability in this current emergency. Decreased access to clean water and a poor diet heighten children’s risk of malnutrition and diarrhoeal diseases and impact their rights to education and protection,” the global child right organisation said in a statement.
Unicef said the full impact of the drought is expected to manifest only later, hence the need for quick intervention.
“There is a need for a front-facing preventive strategy to avert excess deaths in the coming months.”
Unicef said the appeal is part of the recent UN-interagency appeal to support the government’s El Niño response.
“Unicef’s appeal focuses primarily on ensuring — in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe and partners — the continued access of children and their caregivers to health, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, education, and child protection services.
“Unicef urges the donor community to generously support the appeal, emphasising the critical need to secure children’s rights to health, education and protection during this crisis.”
It added: “The funding will help Unicef mitigate child morbidity and mortality, prevent malnutrition and provide treatment when necessary, enhance water access, ensure continuous learning for children and protect children against abuse and exploitation.
“The effects of the current drought will continue to impact child nutrition into next year as household-level food production and stocks will be severely depleted.”
A recent government crop, livestock and fisheries assessment report showed that Zimbabwe is facing its worst drought in 40 years.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa in May declared the drought a national disaster and appealed for US$3 billion in humanitarian assistance, where more than half of the country 15 million population is facing starvation.
The United Nations in May also made a flash appeal to raise US$429,3 million in humanitarian assistance to feed at least 3,1 million Zimbabweans.
Source | NewsDay
https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200029738/unicef-appeals-for-us84m-for-drought-response
