One out of every ten children live in areas affected by wars, natural disasters or serious emergencies. It's a number that breaks down to roughly 230 million children. To help some of them, UNICEF is launching the biggest appeal. It is asking for 2.7 billion euros to help children in dire situations.
Nearly 900 million euros will be used in Syria, where because of the civil war, more than 6 million children became refugees. More than 1 million had to stop going to school all together. The funds will be used for basic assistance like medical care, education and water.
500 million will be sent to West Africa where Ebola has left thousands of orphans exposed to social exclusion and other ills.
In Europe, the funds will focus on Ukraine. 30 million euros will be used to help 2 million children who survived the deadly conflict in the country.
GIOVANNA BARBERIS
UNICEF
'We are particularly concerned with impact of the conflict on the lives of tens of thousands of children, particularly on those most vulnerable. Among the most vulnerable are those children that are living in bomb shelters and deprived of water, sanitation, food, the possibility of going to school and proper health care.â?
In Nigeria the violence of extremist group Boko Haram has left more than one million people displaced, most of whom have fled to neighboring countries like Chad. UNICEF will send 26 million euros.
There are other areas where violence and shortages are triggering instability. Nations like the Central African Republic, considered the 7th poorest country in the world, where the civil war has triggered even more violence.
DAOUDA GUIROU
World Food Programme
'These people have lost everything and don't have access to their land for farming and they depend only on WFP food for living.â?
Unfortunately, the list of crisis in the world is quite long. UNICEF lists 71 countries where children are in need of dire assistance.
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