Source: Response to El Nino emergency in Zimbabwe | UNICEF Zimbabwe
UNICEF urgently appeals for USD 84.9 million to fund its emergency response to assist children and women affected by the El Niño crisis in Zimbabwe. This funding will provide life-saving interventions to 1.34 million people, including 866,000 children, amidst a complex humanitarian crisis exacerbated by water and food shortages.
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Southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, is facing severe challenges due to the El Niño emergency, further compounded by public health crises such as cholera and polio outbreaks.
UNICEF is particularly concerned about children’s vulnerability in this current emergency. Decreased access to clean water and a poor diet heighten children’s risk of malnutrition and diarrheal diseases and impact their rights to education and protection. The full impact of these intersecting factors is expected to manifest only later. Hence, there is a need for a front-facing preventive strategy to avert excess deaths in the coming months.
During the lean season from January to March 2024, an estimated 1.2 million children experienced food insecurity, leading to potential school dropouts, particularly among girls. Women and girls fetching water face increased risks of gender-based violence during long journeys.
Key figures
1.7 million children in need of humanitarian assistance
1.2 million children in food insecurity
84.9 million USD to fund UNICEF’s emergency response
866,000 children targeted by UNICEF with humanitarian assistance
The UNICEF appeal is part of the recent UN-interagency appeal to support the Government’s response to El Niño’s emergency.
UNICEF’s appeal focuses primarily on ensuring—in collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe and partners—the continued access of children and their caregivers to health, water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition, education, and child protection services. UNICEF urges the donor community to generously support the appeal, emphasizing the critical need to secure children’s rights to health, education, and protection during this crisis.
The funding will help UNICEF mitigate child morbidity and mortality, prevent malnutrition and provide treatment, when necessary, enhance water access, ensure continuous learning for children, and protect children against abuse and exploitation.
The effects of the current drought will continue to impact child nutrition into next year as household-level food production, and stocks will be severely depleted. Given the enduring impact of El Niño on Zimbabwe’s children and vulnerable demographics, continued support will be crucial in the coming months.
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