Humanitarian crisis and response

NEW YORK/DAKAR/N’DJAMENA, 26 June 2023– Children and families who have arrived in Eastern Chad in search of safety after fleeing the intensifying conflict in the neighbouring Sudanese region of Darfur, now face new needs and challenges as they seek refuge in provinces of Chad that are already some of the most deprived. As of 23 June, more than 140…

GENEVA/DAKAR/NEW YORK, 17 March 2023 –Ten million children in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are in dire need of humanitarian assistance – twice as many as in 2020 – largely due to spiralling conflict, while nearly 4 million children are at risk in neighbouring countries as hostilities between armed groups and national security forces spill across…

This publication provides an overview of the nutrition situation in the Sahel, the current challenges and how UNICEF and partners can take action to shift the paradigm and focus on scaling interventions to prevent malnutrition. A banner featuring a mother smiling as she holds her baby close to her, In this region, childhood is full of risks and threats. Many essential services are simply not available., Africa's Sahel Region, It is a semi-arid climatic region along the southern edge of the Sahara Desert covering approximately 3,053 million km2, stretching from the Atlantic coast in the west, to the Red Sea in the east. Malnutrition, especially undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, is one of the many challenges children face in an already fragile region. A…, Reconsidering malnutrition in the Sahel, A malnourished child in the Sahel is not just the image of a dangerously thin child who isn’t getting enough to eat. The vast majority of children in the region are affected by at least 3 different forms of malnutrition – wasting, stunting and micronutrient deficiencies. To prevent wasting and stunting we need to ensure that children can benefit…, Here is Djamila’s story. If we work together, differently, and make the right investments, it could be the story of every child in the Sahel., We must act now to help the Sahel recover., Investing in nutrition well-being and closing the funding gaps will enable UNICEF and partners to strengthen priority systems to deliver for children. The time for taking action is now, and we have solutions.   ____________________________________________________  , PREVENTION OF MALNUTRITION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD,   Breastfeeding Promote early initiation of breastfeeding in primary health care, exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months, and then continued breastfeeding up to two years. Support governments with a legal framework and on-the-ground interventions to ban inappropriate promotion and distribution of breastmilk substitutes, and to support healthy food…, EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT OF LIFE-THREATENING MALNUTRITION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD,   Early detection of wasting Intensify efforts to strengthen the capacity of mothers, caregivers and community actors to detect and monitor their children’s nutritional status.  Empowering mothers is key to tackle undernutrition. A mother holds her baby as she gets screened for malnutrition Treatment of wasting Scale-up simplified approaches to…, Nutrition is a lifelong issue, The effects of poor nutrition start in the womb, but continue into adulthood, and cycle across generations. While malnutrition can trap generations of children in a cycle of poverty, good nutrition, particularly in infancy, is the building block for future health and development. A lifecycle approach to nutrition programming ensures that we target…, We must invest in Nutrition Now!, To ensure every child in the Sahel has access to essential nutrition programmes, we need to close the funding gaps. A visual of a quote written in white on a blue background We want to take full advantage of this opportunity to ensure that every mother and child in the Sahel has the chance of a better future. Together we can safeguard the progress…, 1UNICEF // Nutrition Now: For the Sahel. For every child. Context // UNICEF/UNI116268/Pirozzi2023 // For the Sahel,for every child NOWNUTRITION 3UNICEF // Nutrition Now: For the Sahel. For every child. Context // SAHEL REGION //// In this region, childhood is full of risks and threats. Many essential services are simply not available. It is a semi…

GENEVA/DAKAR/NIAMEY, 2 nd July 2021 – Conflict, displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition, recurrent disease epidemics and outbreaks, cyclical floods and droughts in Niger have put more than 3.8 million people, including 2.1 million children, in need of humanitarian assistance, a 30 percent increase compared to 2020. UNICEF today released a…

OUAGADOUGOU, 24 June 2021 – Following armed attacks on the village of Solhan in the Sahel region, UNICEF Burkina Faso has deployed emergency assistance in support of the Government and local authorities in the Sebba area, a few kilometers from the affected village. The attack perpetrated in Solhan on 5 June by a non-state armed group resulted in…

The West and Central Africa region is home to 67 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 37 million children. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is placing additional pressure on already overburdened social services, worsening the situation of vulnerable populations. The West and Central Africa Regional Snapshot…

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 was adopted at the Third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015. It is the outcome of stakeholder consultations initiated in March 2012 and inter-governmental negotiations from July 2014 to March 2015, supported by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction at…

The surge in armed violence across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is having a devastating impact on children’s survival, education, protection and development: 7.2 million children are in need of humanitarian assistance. The Sahel, a region of immense potential, has long been one of the most vulnerable regions in Africa, home to some countries with…, The Sahel has long been one of the most vulnerable regions in Africa. But the surge in armed violence across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is having a devastating impact on children’s survival, education, protection and development.  The sharp increase in armed attacks on communities, schools, health centres and other public institutions and…, Central Sahel crisis at a glance, Young girl sitting in the dark with his school books on her lap, using a lamp to read Over the past 2 years armed groups have intensified attacks in parts of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Insecurity is spreading at a rapid pace. Women and children are bearing the brunt of the violence.  , The impact on education, Education is a major challenge across the affected countries. Across the Central Sahel, attacks and threats on schools and against teachers and students are becoming more and more common, which further worsens the situation of children. In addition, COVID-19 is making the critical situation for children in the Central Sahel – particularly girls,…, The impact on child protection, This complex emergency is a crisis of children’s care and protection. Children and their families fleeing conflict are at greater risk of violence, exploitation and recruitment by non-state armed groups.  In 2019, in Mali alone, 745 grave violations against children were recorded by the United Nations, including recruitment by armed groups,…, The impact on basic social services, Access to basic services, including health care, nutrition, education, safe drinking water and other social services has been seriously compromised, impacting all aspects of children’s lives – their safety, health and wellbeing. Displaced children and their families are being hosted in communities that even before the crisis had limited access to…, ACentral Sahel Advocacy BriefUNICEF October 2020October 2020 Central SahelAdvocacy Brief The surge in armed violence across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger is having a devastating impact on childrens survival, education, protection and development. The Sahel, a region of immense potential, has long been one of the most vulnerable regions in Africa,…

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is on everyone's mind. With the virus' recent arrival in the West and Central African region, you may be wondering how to best keep your and your loved ones safe. This quest for information on COVID-19 has been tainted by the rise in false information across the region and far beyond. To best protect yourself, your family,…, Raising awareness about COVID-19 and its prevention through music and videos, UNICEF Sierra Leone

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 29 January 2019 – Millions of children living in countries affected by conflict and disaster lack access to vital child protection services, putting their safety, well-being and futures at risk, UNICEF warned today as it appealed for $3.9 billion to support its work for children in humanitarian crises. UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action…

FREETOWN/DAKAR/NEW YORK, 17 August 2017 – UNICEF is on the ground urgently responding to the needs of displaced families affected by the flooding and landslides in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown which have killed several hundred people including at least 109 children, according to government sources. The death-toll is expected to rise, with over…