Humanitarian crisis and response

On International Human Rights Day, UNICEF in Eastern and Southern Africa calls for increased and equitable investment in education in emergencies to respond to the needs of millions of crisis-affected children across the region whose education continues to be greatly affected. Every child has a fundamental right to inclusive and quality education…

After five poor or failed rainy seasons in the last three years in the Horn of Africa, millions have lost their cattle, crops and entire livelihoods.  Major outbreaks including cholera, measles, malaria, and other diseases are ongoing across the region, worsened by extreme weather conditions and fragile health systems. Food prices continue to…

GENEVA/MOGADISHU, 30 May 2023 – “In September last year, I appeared here to brief you on the devastating impact that the drought in Somalia was having on children and families. Somalia had gone through five consecutive seasons of failed rains and was facing a sixth season. “A declaration of famine, which was predicted last year, and would have…

NAIROBI/JOHANNESBURG, 23 MAY 2023 - Children in the Horn of Africa are living through an unprecedented large-scale crisis of hunger, displacement, water scarcity, and insecurity. More than 7 million children under the age of 5 remain malnourished and in need of urgent nutrition support, and over 1.9 million children are at risk of dying from…

MAPUTO, 25 April 2023 – “More than 28,000 cases of cholera have now been recorded in Mozambique. This is ten times the figure reported at the start of February, and more than half of cases are among children. “Case numbers continue to increase, putting children and families at ever more risk. And now, cases of malaria and diarrhoea, other leading…

Download the Call to action for more details., Eleven countries in the region are currently battling one of the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the region in years. 28 million people are in need in Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, South Sudan, Burundi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. To respond to the increasing needs of children and families in the region impacted by…, Situation in numbers, Icon 28.4 million Number of people in need in eastern and southern Africa due to the cholera epidemic and its effect on water supplies (which are contaminated in many areas), food insecurity, and the provision of lifesaving services. Icon 14.2 million Approximate number of children in need in eastern and southern Africa due to the cholera epidemic…, Latest news, Funding requirements, UNICEF is developing individualized cholera response plans based on the unique conditions within each affected country. In total, UNICEF is appealing for US$170,830,332 to provide lifesaving WASH, health, risk communication, nutrition, child protection, and education services to women and children affected by the outbreak. The budgets for both…, March 2023 UNICEF Ethiopi/2023/NahomTesfaye CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICAOver 28 million people in need across 11 countries OVERVIEW Today, eleven countries in eastern and southern Africa are grappling with one of the worst cholera outbreaks to hit the region in decades. By the third week of March 2023, a total of 93,681 cases…

By Mohamed Malick Fall, UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, Michael Dunford, WFP Regional Director for Eastern Africa, Chimimba David Phiri, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Eastern Africa and Sara Mbago-Bhunu, IFAD Director for East and Southern Africa. This article first appeared in The East African newspaper on 14 Nov 2022…

NAIROBI, 22 April 2022 – The number of children facing severe drought conditions across the Horn of Africa has increased by more than 40 per cent in the space of two months, warns UNICEF.  Between February and April, the number of children facing the impact of drought including acute hunger, malnutrition and thirst increased from 7.25 million to…

NAIROBI – Strong winds and heavy rainfall caused by Tropical Storm Ana have disrupted the lives of thousands of children in four countries in Eastern and Southern Africa. Latest reports indicate that parts of Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe have been hit by the first seasonal cyclone in the region. The situation in some locations…

The evaluation report presents the findings, lessons learned and recommendations of the UNICEF Mozambique Country Office response to the L2 emergency in Cabo Delgado from June 2020 to October 2021. The findings and recommendations are actionable and forward-looking, aimed at informing mid-term adjustments and to formulate the transition from an L2…, Immediate adaptations to improve the emergency response 1. UNICEF needs to focus the programme in Cabo Delgado to fill gaps in unmet needs, especially in child protection. Considering the funding constraints, this could be achieved by prioritizing critical needs in areas where UNICEF and its partners have capacity and access, without expanding the…, E V A L U A T I O NS U M M A R YB R I E F Learning-Focused Evaluation of theUNICEF Mozambique Response to theLevel 2 Emergency in Cabo Delgado UNICEF/UN0440027/BISOL IntroductionThis brief presents the outcome of the learning-focusedevaluation (LFE) of the UNICEF Mozambique response to theLevel 2 (L2) emergency in Cabo Delgado Province (16…

“UNICEF is deeply concerned about the impact on children in Eswatini from the deteriorating security situation amid civil unrest.  The response to this ongoing crisis should first and foremost respect and protect the fundamental rights of children under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  “Children have continued to be caught up in…

ADDIS ABABA, NAIROBI, GENEVA, NEW YORK – As more supplies and emergency personnel reach crisis-affected people in Tigray, an incomplete but troubling picture is emerging of severe and ongoing harm to children. Between February 4 and 7, a UNICEF team accompanied by the Regional Health Bureau Head traveled from Mekelle to the town of Shire in…