Articles by "UNICEF"
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Hello Jammu News at 7:33:00 PM 0

New York, May 15: More than 3.5 lakh children in the Central African Republic (CAR) are out of school and lack access to health and other basic services, including nearly 29,000, who have fled the escalating violence this year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has said.
'Children are paying the highest price for this new surge of violence. All actors should stop violence against children now. The world must not forget the children of the Central African Republic. Protection of children should come first,' UNICEF Regional Director for West and Central Africa Marie-Pierre Poirier said over the weekend.
According to a UNICEF statement, the already precarious humanitarian and security situation in the country has deteriorated over the past year, worsening even further since the start of 2018.
An estimated 687,400 people are displaced within the country, up from 440,000 in 2017, including more than 357,400 children. This year alone, at least 55,000 people - including 28,600 children - have fled their homes because of escalating brutality and violence, the statement added on Tuesday.
UNICEF said that a third of children are currently out of school. Close to half of all children are not fully immunised and 41 per cent of children under the age of five suffer from chronic malnutrition.
The agency is providing children with life-saving assistance. 'UNICEF and our partners are achieving encouraging results, focusing on four key priorities: scaling up immunisation, ending malnutrition, providing education, and protection; including in emergency situations,' said Ms Poirier.
In 2017, UNICEF and partners vaccinated more than 800,000 children under-five against polio, representing 98 per cent coverage, and treated more than 26,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
Also last year, UNICEF supported the release of 2,969 children from armed groups, and helped set up 315 child-friendly and temporary learning spaces in displacement camps, helping around 56,600 children. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 6:21:00 PM 0



Kolkata, Apr 12: WHO and UNICEF on Wednesday issued new ten-step guidance to increase support for breastfeeding in health facilities that provide maternity and newborn services. 
Breastfeeding all babies for the first 2 years would save the lives of more than 820 000 children under age 5 annually, a WHO statement on Thursday said.
The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding underpin the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative, which both organizations launched in 1991. The practical guidance encourages new mothers to breastfeed and informs health workers how best to support breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is vital to a child’s lifelong health, and reduces costs for health facilities, families, and governments. Breastfeeding within the first hour of birth protects newborn babies from infections and saves lives. 
Infants are at greater risk of death due to diarrhoea and other infections when they are only partially breastfed or not breastfed at all. Breastfeeding also improves IQ, school readiness and attendance, and is associated with higher income in adult life. It also reduces the risk of breast cancer in the mother.
"Breastfeeding saves lives. Its benefits help keep babies healthy in their first days and last will into adulthood," says UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta H. Fore. "But breastfeeding requires support, encouragement and guidance. With these basic steps, implemented properly, we can significantly improve breastfeeding rates around the world and give children the best possible start in life."
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says that in many hospitals and communities around the world, whether a child can be breastfed or not can make the difference between life and death, and whether a child will develop to reach his or her full potential.
"Hospitals are not there just to cure the ill. They are there to promote life and ensure people 
can thrive and live their lives to their full potential," says Dr Tedros. 
"As part of every country’s drive to achieve universal health coverage, there is no better or more crucial place to start than by ensuring the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are the standard for care of mothers and their babies," he said. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:08:00 PM 0


Abuja (Nigeria), Apr 11: Nearly one billion people will be vaccinated against yellow fever in 27 high-risk African countries by 2026 with support from WHO, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and more than 50 health partners.
The commitment is part of the Eliminate Yellow fever Epidemics (EYE) in Africa strategy, which was launched by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, Professor Isaac Folorunso Adewole, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and partners at a regional meeting here, on Nigeria, a WHO report on Wednesday said.
"The world is facing an increased risk of Yellow fever outbreaks and Africa is particularly vulnerable," Dr Tedros said.
"With one injection, we can protect a person for life against this dangerous pathogen. This unprecedented commitment by countries will ensure that by 2026 Africa is free of Yellow fever epidemics," he added.
During the three-day EYE strategy regional launch meeting representatives from key African countries, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and other partners are developing a roadmap on how to roll-out the EYE strategy at national level. This implementation effort follows the endorsement of the strategy by African Ministers of Health at the 67th WHO regional committee in September 2017.
"This comprehensive, global strategy offers an unprecedented opportunity to end the devastating Yellow fever epidemics that periodically impact Africa," said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
"Ensuring that the most vulnerable communities have access to the vaccine through routine systems plays a central role in making this happen. Vaccine manufacturers and Gavi partners have worked hard to improve the global vaccine supply situation in recent years to make sure there is enough vaccine to respond to outbreaks, allow preventive campaigns and that routine immunization functions at full capacity," Dr Berkley added.
The three objectives of the strategy include protecting at-risk populations through preventive mass vaccination campaigns and routine immunization programmes, preventing international spread, and containing outbreaks rapidly. Developing strong surveillance with robust laboratory networks is key to these efforts.
UNICEF will make vaccines available, advocate for greater political commitment and provide support in vaccinating children through routine immunization as well as during outbreaks of the disease.
"Today, the threat of yellow fever looms larger than ever before, especially for thousands of children across Africa," said Stefan Peterson, UNICEF’s Chief of Health. 
"Given that almost half of the people to be vaccinated are children under 15 years of age, this campaign is critical to saving children’s lives, and would go a long way toward stamping out this disease," the UNICEF’s Chief of Health added. 
After outbreaks of Yellow fever in densely populated cities in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo caused 400 deaths in 2016, the acute viral haemorrhagic disease re-emerged as a serious global public health threat.
Brazil is currently battling its worst outbreak of Yellow fever in decades with more than 1,000 confirmed cases. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:23:00 PM 0



United Nations, Mar 28: Yemen’s education system has been devastated by the country’s brutal conflict, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said, reporting that at least half a million children have dropped out of school since the 2015 escalation of the war.
“An entire generation of children in Yemen faces a bleak future because of limited or no access to education,” said Meritxell Relaño, UNICEF Representative in Yemen on Tuesday. “Even those who remain in school are not getting the quality education they need.”
According to “If Not In School,” the total number of out-of-school children now stands at 2 million, and almost three quarters of public school teachers have not been paid their salaries in over a year, putting the education of an additional 4.5 million children at grave risk.
An entire generation of children in Yemen faces a bleak future because of limited or no access to education. 
More than 2,500 schools are out of use, with two thirds damaged by attacks, 27 per cent closed and 7 per cent used for military purposes or as shelters for displaced people.
Children risk being killed on their way to school. Fearing for their children's safety, many parents choose to keep their children at home.
The lack of access to education has pushed children and families to dangerous alternatives, including early marriage, child labour and recruitment into the fighting.
UNICEF appeals to the warring parties, those who have influence on them, government authorities and donors to put an end to the war, pay teachers, protect children's education unconditionally, and increase funding for education.
On 26 March 2015, a coalition of countries led by Saudi Arabia intervened militarily at the request of President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to secure the return of the Government to Sana’a, which had been seized by Houthi militias and allied units of the armed forces when the conflict initially erupted in 2014.
Three years on, the fighting is still raging and the ensuing humanitarian crisis has only deepened in a country that was already one of the region’s poorest. 
The UN, through its envoy, has been engaged in helping Yemenis to find a peaceful solution. UN agencies and partners are also on the ground to deliver life-saving aid. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:41:00 PM 0



Panama City, Mar 2: Latin America and the Caribbean continues to be the region with the second highest adolescent pregnancy rate in the world, according to a joint report launched today by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), the United Nations Children´s Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The report highlights recommendations to reduce teen pregnancy, which range from supporting multisectoral prevention programs geared toward those in the most vulnerable situations, to increasing access to contraception and sex education, among others.
The global adolescent pregnancy rate is estimated at 46 births per 1,000 girls, while adolescent pregnancy rates in Latin America and the Caribbean continue to be the second highest in the world, estimated at 66.5 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years, second only to Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the report “Accelerating progress toward the reduction of adolescent pregnancy in Latin America and the Caribbean."
Although total fertility – the number of children per woman - in Latin America and the Caribbean has declined over the past 30 years, adolescent fertility rates have dropped minimally during that period, according to the report.
Additionally, it is the only region where a rising trend has been observed in pregnancies among adolescents younger than 15 years, according to UNFPA. An estimated 15 per cent of all pregnancies occur annually in girls younger than 20 years in the region, and 2 million children are born to mothers between the ages of 15 and 19 years.
"Adolescent fertility rates remain high in our region, affecting mostly population groups living under conditions of vulnerability and highlighting major inequities between and within countries. Teen pregnancy can have a profound effect on girls’ health over their life course," said Carissa F. Etienne, PAHO Director.
"It not only hinders their psychosocial development, but is also linked to poor health outcomes and higher risks of maternal death. In addition, their children are at higher risk for poor health and social outcomes."
Maternal mortality is one of the top causes of death among adolescents and youth aged 15-24 years in the region of the Americas. In 2014, approximately 1900 adolescents and youth died as a result of complications occurring during pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum periods.
At the global level, the risk of maternal death is doubled in mothers younger than 15 years in low- and middle-income countries. Perinatal deaths are 50 per cent higher among infants born to mothers under 20 years when compared to those born to mothers 20–29 years old, according to the report.
"The lack of information and restricted access to comprehensive sex education and adequate sexual and reproductive health services are directly related to adolescent pregnancies. Many of these pregnancies are not a deliberate choice, but rather the result, for example, of an abusive relationship," said Esteban Caballero, Regional Director of UNFPA for Latin America and the Caribbean. 
"Reducing teenage pregnancy means ensuring access to effective contraceptive methods," added he.
The report found that in the majority of countries adolescent girls with no education or only primary education are up to four times more likely to get pregnant than girls with secondary or higher education. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 4:04:00 PM 0


United Nations, Feb 10: Following reports that dozens of children have been killed in violence this week alone in Syria, a senior United Nations official has stressed the need for unconditional evacuations of sick and wounded children from East Ghouta and other sieged areas.
“The violence shows no sign of abating,” said UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Henrietta H Fore in a statement on Friday. 
“For children who remain trapped under siege and under wanton, heavy violence across Syria, life is a living nightmare. They are struggling just to stay alive.”
Violence is intensifying in several parts of Syria, and in East Ghouta alone, hundreds of children are in urgent need of medical evacuation, she said, noting that four years of siege have crumbled health and other basic services and over the past few months, malnutrition has increased five-fold.
“Children, wherever they are in Syria, must have access to healthcare. The evacuation of sick and wounded children from besieged areas should be a given, not part of bargaining efforts,” she warned.
“I am heartbroken by what the children of Syria continue to suffer because of actions taken by adults – actions that show total disregard for the protection, safety and wellbeing of children,” she added.
Protection of children must be paramount at all times, and schools, hospitals and playgrounds should be places of safety, never targets, she stressed, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Syria. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 11:43:00 AM 0


United Nations, Jan 20: Following a two-day visit to conflict-ravaged South Sudan, where a quarter of a million children are severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death, the head of the United Nations children's agency has said only an end to hostilities can bring back hope and safety to the children and young people there.
“I have just spent two days in South Sudan where I saw first-hand how four years of a man-made conflict have left children sick, hungry and on the brink of death,” Henrietta H Fore, the Executive Director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), said Thursday in the capital, Juba, as she wrapped up her visit.
She said the impact of the relentless violence has been devastating. She recalled meeting a mother who had to walk for days to get treatment for her malnourished baby. Recounting another grim incident, Ms Fore said she had spoken with a young boy who was forced to join an armed group at the age of 10.
At the same time, she said, she saw “signs of hope” emanating from the families experiencing the horror.
“UNICEF and other aid agencies are working on the ground in some of the most dangerous conditions to provide children and young people with their basic needs. This is no small feat,” she said, describing South Sudan “the most dangerous place in the world for humanitarians” as 28 aid workers were killed last year alone.
Forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and his former Vice-President Rieck Machar, have been battling for the past five years, turning what began in 2013 as a political rivalry into all out conflict that, according to the UN relief wing, has left some seven million people in need of assistance and protection, and forced more than two million to flee to neighbouring countries.
Ms Fore noted that the fighting shows no sign of abating and the humanitarian needs are massive: 2.4 million children have been forced to flee their homes. More than a quarter of a million children are severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death. Over 19,000 children have been recruited into the conflict. At least one in three schools has been damaged, destroyed, occupied or closed. More than 1,200 cases of sexual violence against children have been documented.
“The numbers go on and on. Together they equal an entire generation of young people denied the opportunities they so desperately need to contribute to building their society,” she said.
As the dry season approaches, the needs – and threats – will only continue to grow.
“Only an end to hostilities can bring back hope and safety to the children and young people of South Sudan. Until then, we need unconditional, sustainable access from parties to the conflict and more resources from donors,” she said. “Without these, the lives and futures of millions of children in South Sudan will continue to hang in the balance.”  UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 11:39:00 AM 0


United Nations, Jan 20: More than four million children have been impacted by extreme violence in Iraq, many robbed of their childhood and forced to fight on the frontlines, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said.
“Last year alone, 270 children were killed,” said UNICEF Regional Director Geert Cappelaere on Friday following a recent visit.
“Some will bear the physical and psychological scars for life due to exposure to unprecedented brutality,” he added, pointing out that over one million children were forced to leave their homes.
Today, Iraq hosts one of UNICEF’s largest operations in the world, responding with humanitarian and development assistance to the needs of the most vulnerable girls and boys across the country.
Violence is not only killing and maiming children; it is destroying schools, hospitals, homes and roads. It is tearing apart the diverse social fabric and the culture of tolerance that hold communities together.
“In one of the schools that UNICEF recently rehabilitated in the western parts of Mosul, I joined 12-year-old Noor in class. She told me how her family stayed in the city even during the peak of the fighting. She spoke of her fear when she was taking shelter. She lost three years of schooling and is now working hard to catch up, learning English with other boys and girls,” Mr Cappelaere
Poverty and conflict have interrupted the education for three million children across Iraq. Some have never been inside a classroom.
Over a quarter of all children in Iraq live in poverty, with children in southern and rural areas most affected over the past decades.
“As Iraq prepares for elections and the International Summit for Iraq, there is no better moment to prioritize the interests of children, stop the violence and break the cycle of poverty and deprivation,” stressed Mr Cappelaere.
UNICEF appealed to authorities in Iraq and the international community to end all forms of violence so children and their families can live in safety and dignity; continue providing humanitarian and recovery assistance, including to those in camps and informal settlements; and massively step up immediate and long-term investments in education.
“The children of Iraq, like all children around, the world have the right to learn and aspire to a better tomorrow. The children of today are tomorrow’s teachers, doctors, engineers and scientists. Investing in them now is an investment in Iraq’s future,” he underscored.
The International Summit for Iraq, hosted by Kuwait from 12-14 February, offers an opportunity for Iraq and the international community to strengthen commitments to the country’s children – specifically by increasing budgets allocated to supporting children.
“Member States and the private sector should turn financial pledges into concrete commitments for children. This is fundamental for rebuilding a peaceful and prosperous Iraq away from the vicious cycles of violence and intergenerational poverty,” emphasised Mr Cappelaere. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 1:35:00 PM 0


United Nations, Jan 17: As the Bay of Bengal region gears up for cyclone and monsoon seasons, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is warning that more than half-a-millon Rohingya children already living in “horrific” conditions in makeshift settlements in Bangladesh may face compounded risks of disease and displacement.
“What is already a dire humanitarian situation risks becoming a catastrophe,” Edouard Beigbeder, the head of UNICEF programmes in Bangladesh said Tuesday, raising alarm over the impact of the approaching cyclone and monsoon seasons.
“Hundreds of thousands of children are already living in horrific conditions, and they will face an even greater risk of disease, flooding, landslides and further displacement.”
According to the UN agency, an outbreak of diphtheria in the camps has already claimed some 32 lives, including at least of 24 children, with more than 4,000 suspected cases reported.
To contain the outbreak and save lives, UN agencies, including UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), and relief partners are working to vaccinate close to 500,000 children against diphtheria.
But lack of medical services and limited water and sanitation facilities in many settlements, combined with overcrowding, and growing risk of heavy rains and storms could complicate the situation even further.
Diphtheria is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria. The illness has an acute onset and is fatal in 5-10 per cent of cases, with a higher mortality rate in young children.
"Unsafe water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene conditions can lead to cholera outbreaks and to Hepatitis E, a deadly disease for pregnant women and their babies, while standing water pools can attract malaria-carrying mosquitos. Keeping children safe from disease must be an absolute priority,” Mr Beigbeder added.
Since 25 August, widespread violence in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine state has forced over 650,000 members of the Rohingya community to flee their homes and seek shelter across the border in Bangladesh. A number of UN agencies, together with humanitarian partners and the Bangladesh Government have been providing them with life-saving support.
Meanwhile, amid reports of discussions between the Governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar concerning the return of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the returns should be voluntary.
“UNHCR underscores the importance of the dialogue between the two States at the core of which is the right of refugees to voluntarily return home,” a spokesperson for the UN agency told the press at a regular briefing in Geneva, Tuesday.
The spokesperson, Andrej Mahecic, also informed the media that some Rohingya refugees told UNHCR staff that, before considering return to Myanmar, they would need to see “positive developments” in relation to their legal status and citizenship, the security situation in Rakhine state, and their ability to enjoy basic rights back home.
“To ensure that the refugees are heard and their protection guaranteed in Bangladesh and on return in Myanmar, we are willing to be part of these discussions,” added Mr Mahecic.
UNHCR underscores the importance of the dialogue between [Bangladesh and Mynamar] at the core of which is the right of refugees to voluntarily return home
He also underscored that the comprehensive implementation of the recommendations made by the Kofi Annan-led Rakhine Advisory Commission is essential to ensure sustainable return.
These stress the importance of ensuring peace and security for all communities in Rakhine state, reducing communal divisions, and achieving solutions for the legal and citizenship status of Muslim communities, added the UNHCR spokesperson.
He also underlined the need for urgent and unhindered access across Rakhine state for UN agencies and its partners to assess the situation, provide support to those in need who and to help with rebuilding efforts. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 1:06:00 PM 0


United Nations, Jan 16: In the first fortnight of the year 2018, more than 30 children were killed in escalating violence in Syria's East Ghouta, where an estimated 200,000 children have been trapped under siege since 2013, the top United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) official in the Middle Eastern country has said.
“At a time when most parents are filled with the New Year's hope for their children's future, mothers and fathers in Syria are left grieving for the children they have lost,” said Fran Equiza, UNICEF Representative in Syria in a statement on Sunday.
“It is shameful that nearly seven years into the conflict, a war on children continues while the world watches. Millions of children across Syria and in neighbouring countries have suffered the devastating consequences of unabating levels of violence in several parts of the country,” he added.
UNICEF received information from inside East Ghouta that people are taking shelter underground in fear for their lives.
Two medical facilities came under attack in the past days in East Ghouta, and most health centres had to close because of the violence. Schools have been reportedly closed in and around East Ghouta at a time when children elsewhere in Syria are sitting for their mid-term exams.
“While we saw a small glimmer of hope at the end of last year with the evacuation of 17 children in urgent need of medical attention, increased violence in and around east Ghouta turned hope into despair for the remaining 120 children who continue to suffer in silence waiting for urgent medical evacuation,” Mr Equiza said.
In Idlib, to the northwest of the country, heavy violence reportedly killed and injured scores of children and women and displaced an estimated 100,000 civilians in the past few weeks. The maternity and paediatric hospital in Ma'arrat An Nu'man was attacked three times taking it out of service and killing at least one patient and two medical staff.
“We must be able to reach children in need of humanitarian assistance, urgently and without restrictions, wherever they are in Syria. The various parties to the conflict can make that happen by immediately allowing humanitarian workers to reach them with life-saving assistance,” he said. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:12:00 PM 0


United Nations, Jan 10: While the eyes of the world are on Myanmar's northern Rakhine and Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh, more than 60,000 Rohingya children remain nearly forgotten, trapped in appalling camps in central Rakhine where the shelters teeter on stilts above garbage and excrement, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has reported.
“Partners have identified about 20 children separated from their families during the violence but estimate the total number to be at least 100 – most of whom are in parts of northern Rakhine state that they still cannot access,” Marixie Mercado, UNICEF spokesperson on Tuesday told journalists in Geneva today during a briefing on her visit to Myanmar from 6 December 2017 through 3 January.
She painted a harrowing picture of the situation in Rakhine, noting that prior to 25 August, when the most recent outbreak of violence occurred, UNICEF had been treating 4,800 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition; these children are no longer receiving this life-saving treatment.
“All 12 of the outpatient therapeutic treatment centres run by our partners are closed because they were either looted, destroyed or staff can't access them,” she underscored.
Ms Mercado called the inability of UN agencies to access vulnerable Rohingya children who remain in northern Myanmar “troubling,” saying that while “the eyes of the world” are focused on the 655,000 refugees who have fled across the border into Bangladesh, 60,000 Rohingya children remain “almost forgotten,” trapped in squalid camps in central Rakhine.
“The Rohingya children who do remain in rural areas are almost totally isolated. We hear of high levels of toxic fear in children from both Rohingya and Rakhine communities,” she said.
She stressed that UNICEF stood ready to work with the Myanmar Government and Rakhine state authorities to provide humanitarian relief to all children – regardless of ethnicity, religion, or status – but needed unlimited access.
The spokesperson described two of the worst camps that she visited, in Pauktaw Township – reachable only by a four-to-five-hour boat ride.
“The first thing you notice when you reach the camps is the stomach-churning stench. Parts of the camps are literally cesspools. Shelters teeter on stilts above garbage and excrement,” she recounted. “Children walk barefoot through the muck. One camp manager reported four deaths among children ages 3-10 within the first 18 days of December.”
Ms Mercado also pointed to “an acute level of fear between the Rakhine and Rohingya communities,” recalling a story that parents in one Rohingya village said they hadn't had their children vaccinated against Japanese Encephalitis because the government vaccinators were accompanied by security officers – while Government workers said they dared not go to Rohingya communities without security.
“Rohingya children need a political solution to the issue of legal identity and citizenship. In the interim they need to be recognised first and foremost as children, she said, stressing that the Convention on the Rights of the Child guarantees rights to health, education and opportunities to learn and grow to all children, irrespective of their ethnicity or status or the circumstances in which they find themselves.
Ms Mercado said that the Annan Commission [a report led by the former UN Secretary-General on the situation in Rakhine state]has provided a roadmap for a durable political solution so all children's rights can be protected in a sustainable, open and fair manner in the longer term.
“UNICEF stands ready to support this crucial work. And we call on the global community, especially regional organisations and countries, to leverage their influence so children have better lives today and a future they can look forward to,” she said. UNI 
Read more at http://www.uniindia.com/rohingya-children-trapped-in-appalling-conditions-unicef/world/news/1101282.html#OYwj4djzpTbG5ywb.99
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Hello Jammu News at 12:07:00 PM 0


United Nations, Jan 10: More than half the war-weary Syrian refugees in Lebanon are living in extreme poverty and borrowing money for food and to pay rent has become commonplace, the United Nations has reported.
This news came with a warning that more of these refugees find themselves dependent on international aid amid an uncertain outlook for humanitarian funding in 2018.
“Seven years into the crisis, Syrian refugees in Lebanon are finding it increasingly more difficult to make ends meet [and] are more vulnerable than ever, William Spindler, spokesperson of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told reporters on Tuesday at the regular press briefing in Geneva.
He was briefing on the annual Vulnerability Assessment of Syrian Refugees (VASyR), carried out by UNHCR, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP), which showed that 58 per cent of households are currently living in extreme poverty – on less than $2.87 per person per day.
“And the number of households living below the overall poverty line – less than $3.84 per day – has also continued to rise,” Mr Spindler explained, noting that 76 per cent of refugee households live below that level.
Borrowing money for food, to cover health expenses and pay rent continues to be extremely common, with almost nine out of 10 refugees saying they are in debt.
It is more vital than ever that donors stay the course amid deepening poverty and growing vulnerabilities.
While food insecurity remains critically high, other vulnerabilities continue to grow, such as obtaining legal residency – leaving refugees exposed to an increased risk of arrest and hindering access to work, school or health care.
“Overall,” Mr Spindler said, 74 per cent of surveyed Syrian refugees aged 15 and above do not have legal residency in Lebanon.”
Self-reliance opportunities remain extremely limited in an economy affected by the Syrian conflict and insufficient external funding.
“In 2017, only 36 per cent of the total funding needed to provide adequate humanitarian support in Lebanon was received, as of the beginning of December,” underscored Mr Spindler, noting that under the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan, $2.7 billion is required to meet needs in 2018.
“It is more vital than ever that donors stay the course amid deepening poverty and growing vulnerabilities,” the spokesperson emphasised. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:22:00 PM 0


United Nations, Jan 4: The head of the new United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti, known as MINUJUSTH, has said the operation will carry out its work in an innovative in the island nation – complete with an unusually tight timeframe and a bench-marking exit strategy.
Describing what is unique about the mission, the Special Representative and Head of MINUJUSTH, Susan Page, underscored that it focusses “exclusively on the rule of law.”
“The new mandate by the [UN] Security Council is to work with the Government of Haiti to strengthen its rule of law intuitions. It's also to continue to support the HNP, the Haitian National Police, and to work on justice and human rights – and that includes human rights reporting, monitoring and analysis,” she told UN News.
MINUJUSTH is also unique in that its mandate calls for a benchmarking exit strategy.
“Within two years, we can figure out how we [will exit the country] but with benchmarks for progress that can be measured,” she stressed.
The mission head stated that the country team created a framework with a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which, along with SDG 16 – to promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies – is working in conjunction with the Haitian Government.
“This is a way of bringing the entire country team together, along with the peacekeeping mission, to attain those goals,” she continued, adding that the Government “has already signed up to be a partner in trying to accomplish this for its own development.”
Ms Page explained that while MINUJUSTH is almost exclusively based in the capital, Port-au-Prince, it will also have a 'mobile approach' that will take teams into the field – reaching the greatest number of people.
The mission chief told UN News that the teams will focus on peace, justice and rule of law, to help the people figure out their needs, and then connect them with top-level political figures to see how the UN can help the Government address those needs.
“Once they have a baseline of what the people are looking for, what they need knowledge about, we hope that this bottom-up and top-down approach will help Haiti to strengthen its own institutions with a bit of push from us,” she explained.
Ms Page sees this new approach as a possible new peacekeeping model, commenting that with the aim of doing more with less, “one of the ways we can reach people is by being more flexible and being more mobile.”
Turning to the situation on the ground, Ms. Page noted that while Haiti's political system had been less than stable, “now, all of that is settled.”
“Now that Haiti has its elected officials at all levels, including at the lowest levels in the communes, we have something to work with,” she said.
“The police will continue to work with the Haitian National Police on their strategic development plan, but they also have a programme that is strengthening the mid-level to upper level cadres of the National Police,” she added
As for the ongoing combat against cholera in the country, Ms. Page expressed hope to get to zero transmission.
“One of the ways we continue to work is through the country team,” she said, mentioning the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), which are working to strengthen sanitation and water systems.
“It's really a whole of UN approach; and with the Government's strategic vision and roadmap of how they intend to get there. And we can help them with that,” she said reassuringly. UNI 
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Hello Jammu News at 1:56:00 PM 0


New Delhi, Dec 25: Making a strong pitch for empowerment of women in the society and treating them at a level of equality with men, Bollywood actress and UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador Priyanka Chopra says there is a need to change the way we treat our girls.
Talking to UNI, Priyanka said as an artist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador she would like to change the way "we treat our girls".
'What I would like to change is the way we treat our girls and how they see the world. We, as a society have to look into our homes. On behalf of UNICEF we are taking an initiative in this regard. The 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign that our government has started is also an important step in this direction,' she said. 
Calling for a change in mindset of the youth in society, she said, 'I don't care what the world thinks. I care what is happening to our daughters, our country and our children. So we have to empower our youth and change their mindset. For this, parents should talk to their children. A dialogue is very important."
She said there was nothing wrong in becoming a homemaker.
'Young girls must be given their rights and be allowed to choose their career path," she said.
Priyanka, however, said she is a just an “instrument of change” and the real job of empowering women is supposed to be done by the government and society.
"I am just an instrument of change. I am neither government nor am I the UNICEF. But I have voice, I have a platform which you people have given me... Some change will be done I am sure when so many of you who are here will write about it," the 'Bajirao Mastani' fame said. 
In this context, Priyanka said while she feels happy to be featured in the top 10 of Forbes Celebrity 100 list, it raises a bigger question that why she is the only woman in the list.
"I am very happy that I am the only girl where I am standing with my male counterparts shoulder to shoulder. However, the issue is why I am alone. There are so many big actresses. Why there is so much disparity,'she said. 
She said society must give the young girls their say and allow them right to education.
"I was privileged in my upbringing, with my parents being educated enough to allow me to carry on with my desires. But not everyone shares a similar destiny, and society must give the young girls their say and allow them education,' she said. 
"Some people say 'what change I can make alone', some say 'we ourselves don’t have enough to eat, how can we contribute to this cause'... To them I would say, if you can’t donate money, then donate your compassion,' she said.
Emphasising on the role of girls in a household, Priyanka, expressing her concern over low sex ratio in many states of India, remarked,' the increasing number of old age homes might not happen if there are more daughters in the society.The sex ratio in some states, I got to know about, is so low, which is so dangerous.'
Asked how she handles the pressure that is there for female stars to portray a certain body image and appearance, the 'Quantico' fame actress said,"I have always played the characters I liked. I have always been very empowered. I think it's an indiviual thing also and at the same time there is a pressure in glamour industry."
There are beauty standards across the world--that if you are slim,fair,tall then you are beautiful. So this is prevalent everywhere. Even during marriages, a boy wants a fair girl--so first we have to change our mindset then industry will change it. It's a vicious circle .It comes down to what we are doing as a person.'
Speaking on 'Padmavati' row, Priyanka said,"I have always stood for filmmaking and art. I admire Sanjay sir and I hope the matter gets solved." UNI
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