“Millions of children around the world are suffering from the impacts of conflict, extreme weather events, and the climate crisis,” stated UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, announcing UNICEF’s new emergency funding appeal for US$ 9.4 billion. This is a record appeal, although non-surprising in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on struggling communities all over the world, together with the surge in the refugee crisis and the climate change emergency, which have severely impacted the wellbeing of children worldwide. The number of great violations against children recorded last year only amounted to over 24,000. 

In 2022, the Humanitarian Action for Children will aim at further progressing and ensuring children’s rights and accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The goal is to intervene against children’s severe acute malnutrition as well as water insecurity, provide necessary vaccinations, physical and psychological support, reduce gender-based inequality, and guarantee access to education. 

With the pandemic endangering the general health state, and the access to education to children, UNICEF will put US$ 933 million in the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator (ACT-A). The project aims at developing and supplying the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as tests and treatment. For what concerns the humanitarian refugee crisis, US$ 2 billion will be allocated for Afghanistan alone, which will constitute the largest appeal ever for a single country. Altogether, over US$ 2.4 billion will be needed in order to face both the internal and refugee crisis in Syria, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia. 

To read more, please visit:

https://www.unicef.org/eap/press-releases/unicef-launches-emergency-funding-appeal 

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/12/1107312

Author: Arianna Previtera