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Tag: UNICEF

  • Boko Haram recruits 2,000 children – UNICEF

    Boko Haram recruits 2,000 children – UNICEF

    The terrorist Boko Haram group recruited about 2,000 children in 2016 and used them as child soldiers, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said.

    UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, disclosed this as global leaders gather in Paris on the anniversary of the Paris Commitments to end the use of children in conflict, according to a UN report.

    Lake said estimates indicated that tens of thousands under the age of 18 were being used in conflicts worldwide.

    According to the UNICEF chief, exact data on the number of children used and recruited in armed conflict is difficult to ascertain because of the unlawful nature of child recruitment.

    “For instance, since 2013 an estimated 17,000 children have been recruited in South Sudan and up to 10,000 have been recruited in the Central African Republic (CAR).

    “Similarly, nearly 2,000 children were recruited by Boko Haram, in Nigeria and neighbouring countries, last year alone, and there have been nearly 1,500 cases of child recruitment in Yemen since the conflict escalated in March 2015.

    “We cannot give up the fight to end child recruitment,” the UNICEF chief said.

    According to him, even though over the past 10 years, more than 65,000 children have been released from armed forces and armed groups, tens of thousands of boys and girls under the age of 18 continue to be used in conflicts around the world.

    “It is not only about looking back at what has been accomplished  but looking forward to the work that remains to be done to support the children of war,” he said.

    Adopted 10 years ago, the Paris Commitments, together with the Paris Principles and Guidelines, lay out guidance for protecting children from recruitment and use by armed forces or armed groups.

    The Paris Agreement also assists the release of child soldiers and their reintegration, with other vulnerable children affected by armed conflict in their communities.

    “There has also been progress: since it was adopted, the number of countries endorsing the Paris commitments has nearly doubled from 58 countries in 2007 to 105 at present, signalling an increasing global commitment to end the use of children in conflict.

    “Globally, more than 65,000 children have been released from armed forces and armed groups, including 20,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    “Nearly 9,000 in the Central African Republic; and over 1,600 children in Chad. But more needs to be done,” the UNICEF chief said.

    According to him, seeking to build on the current momentum, the Paris International Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Children in Armed Conflicts is urging for unconditional release of all children – without exception – and putting an end to child recruitment.

    “It is also calling for increased resources to help reintegrate and educate children who have been released, and urgent action to protect internally displaced children, child refugees and migrants.

    “As long as children are still affected by the fighting, we cannot give up the fight for the children,” Lake added. (NAN)

  • Toilet-pupil ratio in Katsina primary schools 1:161 – UNICEF

    Toilet-pupil ratio in Katsina primary schools 1:161 – UNICEF

    The United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) says the toilet-pupil ratio in public primary schools in Katsina State is ‘’one toilet per 161 pupils’’ (1:161) on the average.

    Mr Muntaka Mukhtar, the UNICEF Katsina State Education Specialist, disclosed this on Thursday in Katsina while presenting the state’s Annual School Census for 2015/2016.

    Mukhtar put the primary schools enrollment in the state at 1,549,157 sharing a total of 9,631 toilets across the 34 local government areas of the state.

    He said that Bakori Local Government Area had the highest number of primary schools with 476 toilets being used by 76,587 pupils.

    He said Baure Local Government Area had the least with 46,172 pupils sharing 144 toilets in the primary schools.

    Mukhtar also revealed that only 36 per cent of the schools had source of water, while the remaining 64 per cent had none at all.

    He further said that 696 primary schools had no health facility, which represents only 31 per cent of those who did not have.

    According to him, 36 per cent of the schools were without good black boards, 34 per cent held classes outside and 61 per cent had insufficient seats.

    He pointed out that UNICEF was ready to provide 500 water and sanitation facilities in primary schools in the state in 2017.

    He said that would assist to improve both personal and environmental hygiene in the schools which would also assist to prevent outbreak of diseases.

    He further explained that the state had a total of 13,611 teachers, representing 70 per cent of qualified teachers, out of which 10,117 were males, and 3,494 were females.

    According to him, Katsina zone has 57 per cent of qualified teachers, followed by Funtua zone with 26 per cent, while Daura zone was the least with 25 per cent.

    He said that the pupil-classroom ratio for the state was 113 pupils per classroom.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Annual School Census (ASC) is conducted to generate accurate and reliable data for education planning purposes.

    UNICEF provides both technical and financial support to conduct the census (NAN)

  • UNFPA, UNICEF call for proactive steps to end female genital mutilation

    UNFPA, UNICEF call for proactive steps to end female genital mutilation

    The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have called for proactive steps that would quickly eradicate female genital mutilation.
    The statement was made by UNFPA Executive Director, Dr BabatundeOsotimehin, and UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake on yesterday on 2017 International Day of Zero Tolerance for female genital mutilation(FGM).
    The world must make faster progress to end female genital mutilation by 2030, it was said.
    UNFPAOsotimehinlamented the excruciating pain and irreparablydamagesinflicted on girls’ bodies. “It causes extreme emotional trauma that can last a lifetime.It increases the risk of deadly complications during pregnancy, labour and childbirth, endangering both mother and child.
    “It robs girls of their autonomy and violates their human rights.It reflects the low status of girls and women and reinforces gender inequality, fueling intergenerational cycles of discrimination and harm.It is female genital mutilation and cutting. And despite all the progress we have made toward abolishing this violent practice, millions of girls — many of them under the age of 15 — will be forced to undergo it this year alone.
    “Sadly, they will join the almost 200 million girls and women around the world who are already living with the damage FGM/C causes – and whose communities are already affected by its impact.
    According to him, in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals recognized the close connection between FGM/C, gender inequality, and development – and reignited global action to end FGM/C by 2030.
    “In 2016, more than 2,900 communities, representing more than 8.4 million people living in countries where UNFPA and UNICEF work jointly to end FGM/C, declared they had abandoned the practice. In 2017, we must demand faster action to build on this progress. That means calling on governments to enact and enforce laws and policies that protect the rights of girls and women and prevent FGM/C.
    He said: “It means creating greater access to support services for those at risk of undergoing FGM/C and those who have survived it. It also means driving greater demand for those services, providing families and communities with information about the harm FGM/C causes – and the benefits to be gained by ending it. And ultimately, it means families and communities taking action themselves and refusing to permit their girls to endure the violation of FGM/C.Let us make this the generation that abolishes FGM/C once and for all – and in doing so, help create a healthier, better world for all.”

  • UNICEF calls for collective action on female genital mutilation

    UNICEF calls for collective action on female genital mutilation

    As the world marks International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation today, UNICEF calls on governments at all levels, civil society organisations, and traditional and religious leaders to join together and end the scourge of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting in Nigeria.

    Marking the Day, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria Mohamed Fall, said: “Every study and every bit of evidence we have shown there is absolutely no benefit to mutilate or to cut any girl or woman for non-medical reasons. It is a practice that can cause severe physical and psychological harm.”

    Five states in Nigeria have rates of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) that are more than 60 per cent, with Osun and Ebonyi highest at 77 and 74 percent respectively, according to the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey. The other states are Ekiti, 72 percent; Imo, 68 percent; and Oyo, 66 per cent.

    FGM/C comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other cutting of or injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is recognised internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

    In February last year, Wife of the President Mrs Aisha Buhari launched a national campaign to end FGM/C, calling on all parties to work together to halt this harmful practice. Her call underlines the need for collective action at every level.

    UNICEF is working with Federal and State governments, especially in the southern states where the practice is most prevalent, training partners, creating awareness at all levels and working with communities to convince practitioners and community members to promote an end to the practice.

    Support is growing for the national campaign to end FGM/C. With the support of the Wives of the State Governors, Imo and Oyo State Houses of Assembly are currently working on draft bills that will prohibit the practice of FGM/C and any custom or tradition promoting it. When the bills are passed, Imo and Oyo will join the other most affected southern states – Osun, Ebonyi and Ekiti – that already have laws against the practice in place.

    “We applaud the progress that has been made in Nigeria, but there is still a long way to go. Even though this practice has persisted for over a thousand years, our evidence tells us that with collective action, it can end in one generation,’ added Mohamed Fall.

    “It violates a woman’s rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, and even – in some cases – the right to life,” he said.

  • UNICEF calls for collective action to end female genital mutilation

    UNICEF calls for collective action to end female genital mutilation

    As the world marks International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation Monday February 6, UNICEF has called on governments at all levels, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders to join together and end the scourge of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting in Nigeria.

    Marking the Day, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria Mohamed Fall, stressed that “Every study and every bit of evidence we have shown there is absolutely no benefit to mutilate or to cut any girl or woman for non-medical reasons. It is a practice that can cause severe physical and psychological harm.”

    The report stated that five states in Nigeria have rates of Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting (FGM/C) that are more than 60 per cent, with Osun and Ebonyi sates highest at 77 and 74 per cent respectively.

    According to the 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey the other states are Ekiti, 72 per cent; Imo, 68 per cent; and Oyo, 66 per cent.

    FGM/C comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other cutting of or injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

    In February last year, Wife of the President Mrs. Aisha Buhari launched a national campaign to end FGM/C, calling on all parties to work together to halt this harmful practice. Her call underlines the need for collective action at every level.

    UNICEF is working with Federal and State governments, especially in the southern states where the practice is most prevalent, training partners, creating awareness at all levels and working with communities to convince practitioners and community members to promote an end to the practice.

    Support is growing for the national campaign to end FGM/C. With the support of the Wives of the State Governors, Imo and Oyo State Houses of Assembly are currently working on draft bills that will prohibit the practice of FGM/C and any custom or tradition promoting it. When the bills are passed, Imo and Oyo will join the other most affected southern states – Osun, Ebonyi and Ekiti – that already have laws against the practice in place.

    “We applaud the progress that has been made in Nigeria, but there is still a long way to go. Even though this practice has persisted for over a thousand years, our evidence tells us that with collective action, it can end in one generation,’ added Mohamed Fall.  “It violates a woman’s rights to health, security and physical integrity, the right to be free from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and even – in some cases – the right to life,” he said.

  • UNICEF seeks $3.3b

    UNICEF seeks $3.3b

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said 48 million children living in the world’s worst conflicts will benefit from UNICEF’s 2017 appeal.
    It said UNICEF was seeking $3.3 billion in emergency assistance for 48 million children caught up in conflict and other crises.
    UNICEF’s Chief Communication Officer Mrs Doune Porter, in a statement yesterday, noted that from Syria to Yemen, Iraq, and South Sudan to Nigeria, children are under direct attack.
    Doune said their homes, schools and communities were in ruins, their hopes and futures hanging in the balance, adding that almost one in four of the world’s children lives in a country affected by conflict or disaster.
    She noted that an estimated 7.5 million children will face severe acute malnutrition across majority of appeal countries, including almost half a million each in Northeast Nigeria and Yemen.
    “UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes, Manuel Fontaine said in country after country, war, natural disaster and climate change are driving ever more children from their homes, exposing them to violence, disease and exploitation.”
    “UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action for Children sets out the agency’s 2017 appeal totaling $3.3 billion, and its goals in providing children with access to safe water, nutrition, education, health and protection in 48 countries across the globe.
    “The largest single component of the appeal is for children and families caught up in the Syria conflict, soon to enter its seventh year. UNICEF is seeking a total of $1.4 billion to support Syrian children inside Syria and those living as refugees in neighbouring countries.”

  • Jos communities reject polio vaccine, want food instead

    Jos communities reject polio vaccine, want food instead

    Some communities in Jos North Local Government of Plateau state, have refused to participate in the on-going immunisation exercise against polio, citing hunger as their reason.

    “The communities have shunned entreaties by the immunisation officers; they say the vaccine should be replaced with food,” Mrs Hannatu Davat, the Local Immunisation Officer, told newsmen in Jos on Monday.

    The immunisation exercise, which began on Jan. 28, is co-sponsored by the local government in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the Nigerian Rotary Club.

    The four-day exercise, targeted at children below five years, vaccinates the group against polio and other killer diseases including hepatitis, measles, yellow fever and tetanus.

    Davat explained that the parents, who rejected the vaccine, asked the government to rather work toward slashing the prices of food items.

    She said that other residents, who refused to participate, claimed that they had collected too many rounds of the vaccination, while others described the vaccines as “’western medicine”.

    The officer further said that even doctors rejected the vaccines on the grounds that government was paying too much attention to polio while neglecting other serious diseases.

    “The local government has reported the development to the Plateau chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), who have promised to ensure that no doctor rejects any polio vaccines meant for children.

    “One of the doctors mentioned Mumps as one of the diseases being neglected, and described it as a serious disease which government hardly worry about.”

    Davat said that the local government had set up a social mobilisation team that was moving through affected communities to sensitise them on the importance of taking the vaccines.

    “Based on such efforts, some of the communities have changed their initial stance and are ready to bring their children, but others have remained adamant,” she said.

    The officer, who refused to name the specific communities, however, revealed that three wards were involved.

    “We have seven rounds of immunisation this year and this is just the first round; if we are not able to resolve the lingering issues, we shall forward them to the state office for further action,” Davat said.

  • UNICEF educate Rivers women on exclusive breastfeeding

    Nutrition experts and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) yesterday advised women, especially nursing mothers, to not only practice exclusive breastfeeding but to also encourage others to practice it as a key to sustainable development.

    They said breastfeeding a new born baby is the best gift any mother can give to her child to prevent all the childhood killer diseases such diarrhea or cholera.

    The programme which attracted expectant and nursing mothers in the area was organised by Radio Rivers in collaboration with UNICEF.

    Addressing the women at Orogbum Primary Health Centre, Obio/Akpor Local Government of Rivers State, Mrs. Glory Wokocha, a nutritionist, said it is an act of wickedness for a nursing mother to refuse to practice exclusive breastfeeding.

    Wokocha who represented the Director of Health in Rivers State Ministry described exclusive breastfeeding as a breastfeeding that started after 30 minutes of child birth and continue from one to six months.

    She said: “From the day you conceived start preparing for good breast milk, the kinds of food you eat when you are pregnant determine how nutritious you breast milk will be. In exclusive breast feeding you don’t need to give baby water because the breast milk contains water.

    “A baby must suck the mother breast milk for at least one hour, because the first milk that comes out of the mother’s breast is not the main milk. The more the baby sucks the more nutritious is the milk.”

    Mrs. Patience Nweuzi, Head of Department Infant Welfare who demonstrated how nursing mother should carry and position a baby while giving breast milk said exclusive breastfeeding should be practice by all nursing mothers.

  • Bauchi develops 30-year water supply plan

    Bauchi develops 30-year water supply plan

    The Bauchi State Government has said that it has developed a 30-year water plan for the state.

    The Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Ghali Abdulhamid, said this when he spoke with newsmen in Bauchi on Thursday.

    Abdulhamid explained that all existing, dams and schemes would be expanded so that it would supply uninterrupted water for the next 30 years.

    “This has became necessary because such dams like Gubi Dam and others can no longer meet the demands of the people.

    “Nobody envisage that Bauchi State will expand at this quick pace and therefore, there is no development plan put in place for the expansion of such dams.

    “Following influx of people from neighbouring states because of the insurgency, the facilities have been overstretched, hence, the need to develop a future plan,” he said.

    Abdulhamid said that the state government had paid N140 million counterpart fund to UNICEF for the drilling of 300 boreholes in some local government areas.

    He said the state government had also embarked on the drilling of additional 180 boreholes in eight selected local governments and works were at various stages of completion.

    Abdulhamid said the state government had rehabilitated about 1,000 hand pump boreholes and 48 solar propelled boreholes while 25 new ones have been drilled.

    “We have a big dream in 2017 for the people of the state as African Development Bank (ADB) has approved $250 million  U.S dollars for five states in the North-East.

    “These are Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba and Yobe States and hopefully Bauchi State is going to have about $50 million dollars.

    “About $40 million dollars would be spent on the water sector while Ministry of Commerce, Health, Education, Agriculture, Local Government Affairs and Economic Planning and Budget, will also benefit from the balance,” he said.

    The.commissioner said that “it is a five-year plan and the government will use it to improve the living standard of its people, especially in the area of water supply and sanitation.

    “We also have World Bank $72 million dollars water reform project for Bauchi metropolis, which is approved for three states: Bauchi, River and Ekiti states,” he said.

  • UNICEF: education a priority after insurgency

    UNICEF: education a priority after insurgency

    The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has said investing in the education of children in the Northeast would be its top priority when the Boko Haram insurgency ends.
    Chief Field Officer in Maiduguri, Mr. Geoffray Ijumba, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that “investing in education will safeguard the future of the millions of children in the region.”
    According to him, UNICEF has executed works to improve the health conditions of victims of the insurgency, especially the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
    He said: “In the coming years, education will be UNICEF’s number one priority to secure the future of children in the Northeast.
    “After everybody has packed his baggage and left, after the insurgency, UNICEF will be here. This is because education is one of the investments that will make a huge difference in the future of the children.
    “Teachers, books and safe environment will be our main focus.”