Humanitarian Action for Children 2011 - Unicef

Côte d’IvoireHumanitarianfunding at work:Highlights from 2010UNICEF was able toachieve a number of gainsfor children and womenaffected by emergencies inCôte d’Ivoire during 2010.Nearly 9,000 children withsevere acute malnutritionwere treated in outpatientunits and another 1,200 intherapeutic feeding centres.Over 5.5 million childrenunder age 5 receiveddeworming treatment andabout 6.1 million were givenvitamin A supplements. Atleast 12,000 people gainedaccess to drinkable water,28 villages were declaredfree of open defecation, and1,400 households gainedaccess to latrines. UNICEFhelped cultivate emergencypreparedness within theeducation sector throughcapacity building for 30government educationadministrators. More than60 survivors of sexualviolence, mostly girls, wereprovided with medical andpsychosocial support as wellas legal counselling.Children and women in crisisThe difficulties of children and women in Côte d’Ivoire are linked to continuing fallout fromthe internal conflict that engulfed parts of the country from 2002–2007 and shattered the socialcohesion of the country’s 20.6 million citizens. All parties to that conflict have maintainedan armed presence in the country, leaving women and children particularly vulnerable tosexual violence, prostitution and exploitative labour. The November 2010 post-presidentialelection period brought a return of volatility and serious tensions. Several violent incidentsthat occurred are symptomatic of the deterioration in Côte d’Ivoire’s political climate. The risksfor escalation of tensions are significant.It has been estimated that at least 500,000 displaced persons remain in the country, and thosewho return to their homes, particularly in western Côte d’Ivoire, frequently encounter conflictover land they had left. 1 With around 49 per cent of the population living under the nationalpoverty line, 2 humanitarian need is also rooted in poverty – and compounded by periodic naturaldisasters, such as the floods that occurred in Abidjan in June 2010, affecting 1,000 households.Meeting urgent needs and building resilience in 2011UNICEF currently is the lead agency for the WASH and nutrition sectorial groups, and is co-leadfor education with Save the Children. In partnership with the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, otherUN agencies and NGOs, UNICEF will assist 6.9 million people in 2011, including 4 million children.• Around 33 per cent of children under 5 years old suffering from severe acute malnutritionin the northern and western parts of the country (15,000 children) will be treated; 6.2 millionchildren under 5 will receive vitamin A supplementation and 5.8 million children under 5 willget deworming medication.• Five Ivorian partner organizations 3 will increase their capacities in emergency preparednessand response through training and support provided by UNICEF, including disaster riskreduction and contingency planning. Emergency medical supplies will be consolidated andpre-positioned to respond to the needs of 20,000 people who may be affected by crisis.• UNICEF will improve the capacity of 210 health-care providers by organizing specific trainingon medical prescriptions, psychosocial care, and guidance and assistance to survivors.• To mitigate the deadly threat of waterborne disease, water quality and cholera outbreak surveillanceteams will be set up in 50 at-risk communities in the Montagnes and Zanzan areas.• Around 20,000 children aged 3 to 15 will benefit from procurement of emergency teaching andlearning materials along with access to formal and non-formal education opportunities andpsychosocial and recreational activities, including information on life skills and health andhygiene. In 150 at-risk communities, community-based child protection groups will receive trainingin preventing, monitoring, referring and reporting on grave violations of children’s rights.• In line with its emergency preparedness and response plan, the UNICEF country office standsready to immediately assist children and women who may be affected by an eventual postelectionconflict.Funding requirements for 2011UNICEF is requesting US$5,541,000 for its humanitarian work in Côte d’Ivoire in 2011, to assistchildren and women as they cope with the aftermath of years of armed conflict. UNICEF hasaligned its request with the 2011 Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) requirements.More information on achievements of 2010 and the humanitarian action planned forCôte d’Ivoire in 2011 can be found at www.unicef.org/hac2011 or the country officeweb site at www.unicef.org/cotedivoire.1. Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, ‘Côte d’Ivoire: Quest for durable solutions continues as the electoralprocess moves forward’, IDMC Norwegian Refugee Council, Geneva, 22 September 2010, pp. 1, 4.2. Institut national de la statistique, ‘Enquête sur le niveau de vie’ [Survey of household wealth], INS, Abidjan, Côted’Ivoire, 2009.3. Akwaba, Animation rurale de Korhogo (ARK), Association de Soutien a l’Auto-promotion sanitaire (ASAPSU),Caritas Abidjan and Caritas Man.UNICEF EMERGENCY NEEDS FOR 2011 (in US dollars)Total $5,541,0001,000,000 Health 900,000 WASH700,000Education350,000HIV and AIDS90,000Cluster coordination1,551,000 Nutrition 650,000Child protection300,000Emergency preparednessand response planningCôte d’Ivoirewww.unicef.org/hac2011 | 2011 UNICEF Humanitarian Action FOR CHILDREN 67