Ref. :  000018897
Date :  2005-06-14
Language :  English
Home Page / The whole website
fr / es / de / po / en

On the Day of the African Child: Africa’s chronic emergencies struggling for attention

Author :  UNICEF


As G8 Prepare to Meet, UNICEF Urges Rich Nations to Increase Funding to Silent Emergencies

Midway through the year some of Africa’s most intractable emergencies are seriously under funded. Only two out of ten countries with recurring emergencies are on track to reach UNICEF funding targets, but most will barely make it half way. The five least funded recurring emergency countries in Africa are Angola (14 per cent), Liberia (18 per cent), Burundi (19 per cent), Guinea (20 per cent) and Eritrea (24 per cent).

“The worst funding gaps affect countries that are recovering from or in the midst of civil conflict. None of these countries are in the headlines, but their situations are dire and require urgent attention,” said Dan Toole, UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes. “In every one of these countries women and children suffer first and suffer the longest.”

Liberia is striving to get back on its feet after ending a fifteen year civil conflict in 2003. An analysis of UNICEF emergency funding targets over the last five years concluded that Liberia has never broken the 50 percent mark. Over 11.8 thousand child soldiers have been disarmed in the last two years, but there is a chronic shortfall in funds to effectively reintegrate them to society. The most acute need is money for schooling. Over a half million children missed years of school because of the conflict. Accelerated learning programs are their best hope for a brighter future.

Sporadic fighting is continuing in Burundi despite attempted peace talks. The eight year conflict has led to the continued recruitment of child soldiers. Malnutrition among children hovers above fifty percent. Only half the country’s children are enrolled in school.
Guinea is suffering from the effects of neighbouring armed conflicts. Wars in Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone have spilled over into Guinea, forcing large numbers to flee their homes to inhabit under-resourced camps for the internally displaced.

“Natural disasters tend to be better funded than countries undermined by long standing civil unrest, but the exception to this rule is Eritrea,” added Toole.

Five years of widespread drought and crop failures have wracked Eritrea. Currently 2.3 million people are in need of food aid, including 300,000 pregnant women and children. Neighbouring Ethiopia is similarly drought affected. Over one hundred and fifty thousand children are severely malnourished, and almost half a million are suffering from some form of malnutrition. However, funding for Ethiopia has so far only reached 32 per cent of the target for this year.

Although rich in natural resources, the aftermath of Angola’s 27 year civil war continues to exact a heavy toll. Angola has the third worst child mortality rate in the world, almost one third of the country’s children are malnourished, and half the population has no access to safe drinking water. The recent outbreak of the deadly Marburg virus has only added to the country’s misery. Long-term investments over time are needed to bring the country out of extreme poverty.

The funding picture for the fairly recent, better reported crisis in Darfur is also bleak. Almost two million people have now fled their villages for camps that offer little protection from further attack. Disease and malnutrition continue to plague the displaced population, who have now missed two successive planting seasons. Despite making headlines around the world Darfur has only reached 30 per cent of its emergency target for this year.

Other African countries that have failed to meet 50 per cent of the target for emergency funding this year are Central African Republic (17 per cent), Congo-Brazzaville (7), Cote D’Ivoire (18), Malawi (0), Tanzania (16) and Uganda (48).

UNICEF welcomes the Group of Eight’s decision to cancel the debt of 14 African nations, noting that from the list of Africa’s recurring
emergencies, only Ethiopia and Uganda are among those that will have their debts forgiven. UNICEF also urges leaders of the G8 to consider increasing aid to African nations, particularly those that reel from emergency to emergency.


Continents : 
- Africa   

Rate this content
 
 
 
Average of 224 ratings 
Rating 2.60 / 4 MoyenMoyenMoyenMoyen
Same author:
 fleche3 in 5 babies not breastfed in the first hour of life

 flecheA global initiative on out-of-school children
 flecheFrom Syria to Libya: Stalked by war
 flecheSept années de guerre en Syrie et aucune amélioration en vue : les enfants handicapés menacés d’exclusion
 fleche5 ways you can help end violence against girls
 flecheLevels and Trends in Child Mortality, Report 2017
 flecheLevels and Trends in Child Mortality
 flecheThe State of the World’s Children 2016: A fair chance for every child
 flecheFive-fold increase in number of refugee and migrant children traveling alone since 2010
 flecheThirsting for a future : water and children in a changing climate
 flecheEnding child marriage. Progress and prospects
 flecheUNICEF 2016 Report - Uprooted: The growing crisis for refugee and migrant children
 flecheUNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children 2016
 flecheL’UNICEF lance un appel humanitaire de 2,8 milliards de dollars pour les enfants
 flecheOne in four children in conflict zones are out of school
 flecheMore than 16 million babies born into conflict this year: UNICEF
 flecheChild brides in Africa could more than double to 310 million by 2050 - UNICEF
 flecheL'impact du changement climatique sur les enfants
 flecheConflict drives 13 million children out of school in the Middle East and North Africa
 flecheMillions of children in Syria at high risk of disease amid water scarcity and summer heat
 flecheRéimaginer l’avenir
 fleche14 million children impacted by conflict in Syria and Iraq
 flecheMore brutal and intense conflicts leave children increasingly at risk of recruitment
 flecheAdolescents twice as likely to be out of school as children of primary school age, say UNESCO and UNICEF
 flecheConflict in Ukraine leaves almost 150 schools closed
 flecheWith 15 million children caught up in major conflicts, UNICEF declares 2014 a devastating year for children
 flecheA Malian refugee girl in Niger chooses school over marriage
 flecheInnovations in peacebuilding: How technology is changing the way we see the world and respond to violent conflict
 flecheUNICEF, UNFPA stand behind Africa’s biggest anti child marriage push
 flecheAlmost 3 million newborns could be saved each year – UNICEF
 flecheEvery child counts
 flecheBreaking down the data: new snapshots of water and sanitation in Asia Pacific
 flecheOne in three children under-five do not officially exist
 flecheChildren With Disabilities
 flecheOn Universal Children’s Day, put hidden violence and abuse in the spotlight, says UNICEF
 flecheInternational Day of the Girl Child
 flecheHelping youth associated with gangs create a better future for themselves – and their communities
 flecheAdditional US$45 million contribution to Syria’s children, as EU becomes largest donor to UNICEF appeal
 flecheMillennium Development Goals a major focus, at United Nations General Assembly
 flecheMillennium Development Goal drinking water target met
 flecheUNICEF launches flagship report focusing on urban children
 flecheUNICEF: Investing in adolescents can break cycles of poverty and inequity
 flecheNew UNICEF study shows MDGs for children can be reached faster with focus on most disadvantaged
 fleche"The State of the World’s Children report 2009" - Special issue
 flecheUNICEF’s State of The World’s Children report commemorates 20 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
 flecheUNICEF ‘Progress for Children’ report advances child-protection goals
 flecheGlobal child mortality continues to drop
 fleche2009 Humanitarian Action Report focuses on conflict, climate and hunger
 flecheReleasing declining numbers for child mortality, UNICEF calls for increased efforts to save children’s lives
 flecheWorld Water Week 2008 focuses on sanitation, health and hygiene
 flecheIndia and China hold the key to world meeting MDGs, says UNICEF flagship report
 flecheWorld Breastfeeding Week: supporting mothers to breastfeed will improve children’s chances of survival, says UNICEF
 flecheFar too few using improved sanitation but more people use drinking-water from safe sources
 flecheLa gente celebra el día internacional de la lengua materna en América Latina y el Caribe
 flecheHumanitarian Action Report 2008
 flecheUNICEF issues annual appeal to meet needs of children and women in global emergencies
 flecheUN launches International Year of Sanitation to address global crisis
 flecheVeneman, Ann M.
 flecheReport on the State of the World’s Children 2007 : "Women and Children. The Double dividend of gender equality"
 flecheEmpower women to help children
 flecheUNICEF zum Welt-AIDS-Tag: AIDS-Gefahr vor unserer Haustür wächst
 flechePrevention efforts too little, too late; prosecution of traffickers not sole solution
 flecheThe State of the World's Children 2006: Excluded and Invisible
 flecheChildren: The Missing Face of AIDS
 flecheUNICEF to launch global campaign on children and AIDS
 flecheFood crisis in Malawi compounded by HIV/AIDS
 flecheNew global partnership calls for immediate action to help women and children Survive
 flecheWomen, Water and Hygiene Are Key to Change in Africa
 flecheSeven million children to be vaccinated as Aghanistan strives to eradicate polio
 flecheJapan announces US$ 5.16 million to improve children’s health
 flecheFood and vaccines saving children’s lives
 flecheFamine in Niger threatens 800,000 children
 flecheThe state of the World's children
 flecheUNICEF-supported projects open girls’ eyes to gender equality
 flecheEncuentro Iberoamericano sobre Derechos de la Niñez y Adolescencia Indígena
 flecheEncuentro Iberoamericano sobre Derechos de la Niñez y Adolescencia Indígena
 flecheScotland: UNICEF’s first-ever C8 Children’s Forum brings together young advocates from around the world
 flecheEl Foro de la Infancia C8: "Es hora de que la pobreza infantil pase a la historia"
 flecheUNICEF-Kinderkonferenz zum G-8-Gipfel in Schottland
 flecheChildren must be at the heart of development efforts
 flecheDes centaines de milliers de personnes manquent d'eau
 flecheRegional consultation in Buenos Aires on violence against children
 flecheUNICEF calls for action on Congo terror
 flecheUNICEF identifies key steps to save children of "Tsunami Generation"
 flecheBellamy, Carol
 flecheUNICEF calls for aid to tsunami-struck countries
 flecheConflict in eastern DR Congo has forced millions to flee homes
 flecheTodesursache: Mädchen
 flecheThe State of the World's Children 2005: childhood under threat
 flecheReligious and traditional leaders from across Africa rally for child survival
 flecheEastern Europe & Central Asia: Millions of children bypassed by economic progress
 flecheWorld facing silent emergency as billions struggle without clean water and basic sanitation
 flecheAfrica's Orphan Crisis: Worst Is Yet to Come
 flecheMaternal deaths disproportionately high in developing countries
 flecheUNICEF Chief urges UN General Assembly to focus on young people in deliberations on HIV/AIDS
 flecheChild abuse leads to 3,500 annual deaths in developed nations
 flecheSchools open again, but where are the children?
 flecheLa Directrice de l'UNICEF exhorte les dirigeants politiques a investir en faveur des enfants, qui détiennent les clés du développement mondial et de la stabilité
13
SEARCH
Keywords   go
in 
Translate this page Traduire par Google Translate
Share

Share on Facebook
FACEBOOK
Partager sur Twitter
TWITTER
Share on Google+Google + Share on LinkedInLinkedIn
Partager sur MessengerMessenger Partager sur BloggerBlogger
Other items
where is published this article: