UNICEF Appeals for $2.5bn to Aid 39 Million Children in MENA

Date: 08 December 2020 - 21:14

News ID: ۸۵۲۲۹

SANA’A (Dispatches) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has appealed for a record $2.5 billion in urgent funding to provide life-saving aid to 39 million children in the Middle East and North Africa during 2021.
UNICEF said in a statement that the amount "includes an increase of nearly U.S.$500 million to continue responding to the COVID-19 pandemic amid a surge in cases across the region.”
"The region is home to the highest number of children in need in the world. This is largely due to man-made crises including armed conflicts, poverty and economic stagnation,” said Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa.
"This appeal aims to reach children with critical humanitarian assistance and continue responding to the massive needs emerging as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he added.
According to the statement, the largest share of this appeal will be allocated to respond to the crises in Yemen, Syria and Sudan.
At least 12 million children, according to UNICEF, need assistance in Yemen. The scourge of a war ignited by the Saudi regime and its allies in 2015 continues to take its deadly toll on civilians, including children.
Nearly five million children also need aid in Syria. About 2.5 million Syrian kids already live as refugees in the neighboring countries. Flames of a foreign-backed conflict have significantly threatened the lives of children in the Arab country since 2011.
In Sudan, the number of children in need of assistance passes the five million mark. Kids in Sudan face a bleak future due to an economic crisis, which has been further exacerbated by unprecedented floods.
UNICEF says its main imperative is children’s education. Access to water, sanitation, healthcare and nutrition as well as mental health support are among other priorities.