UNICEF launches relief emergency program in Zimbabwe
3/12/2008 17:45
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has launched a 120-day
emergency response to intensify relief efforts in Zimbabwe's educational and
health sectors, local media said today.
In a statement issued yesterday,
UNICEF acting country representative Roeland Monasch said the emergency response
would see the organization focusing on relief efforts in the provision of basic
social services.
Under the 120-day plan, UNICEF said it would increase health
outreach services, provide nutritional supplements, boost school attendance and
scale up access to safe water.
UNICEF said it would further procure essential
medicines for 70 percent of the country's population and support community-based
therapeutic feeding centers by providing ready-to-use nutritional foods across
the country.
The children-centred organization will also roll out a
nationwide campaign on cholera prevention and reach out to at least 1.5 million
children with immunization.
In collaboration with the government, the
emergency plan will also provide incentives for teachers and nurses countrywide
to enable them return to work.
"Women and children face immense risk in
Zimbabwe. Schools and hospitals are closing, while teachers, nurses and doctors
are not reporting for duty. It is UNICEF's top priority to ensure that
Zimbabwe's children get vital life-saving interventions at this critical time,"
Monasch said.
He said high HIV prevalence rate (currently 16 percent), food
shortages with 5.1 million people in need of food by January, and a decline in
social services had compounded the Zimbabwean situation for the past five
years.
"Children in Zimbabwe are on the brink and everyone's focus must now
be on their survival," said Monasch.
The net effect on Zimbabwean children
has been no schooling, a serious threat to their life, lack of health care, safe
water and reduced number of meals.
According to UNICEF, the country has so
far recorded more than 11,735 cases of cholera and 484 deaths were
reported.
Xinhua
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