HEADLINES
In the run-up to Presidential elections held on 28 July, UNICEF provided candidates with a brief on the situation of children and women in Mali and facilitated the signature of a memorandum on the respect and promotion of children’s rights in Mali.
UNICEF continues to support the resumption of social services in the North by providing material and infrastructure aid for health centres and nutritional units, water networks, schools, and administrative offices.
As part of the Back to School initiative for the 2013 – 2014 academic year, UNICEF in collaboration with partners supports 500,000 school-aged children affected by the recent crises get back to the classrooms.
Results from the SMART nutrition survey in Gao have highlighted a ‘serious’ nutritional situation. In the next six months, 22,730 children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, including 5,461 children with acute severe cases.
In support of the cold-chain and to prepare for vaccinations in the next year, UNICEF is providing solar-powered and regular refrigerators to health centres in the North and has rehabilitated the cold room in Mopti. UNICEF is targeting more than 60,000 children under 1 with routine vaccinations and over 307,000 children under 5 for routine measles and polio vaccinations.
UNICEF has updated requirements for Humanitarian Action for Children, increasing the overall amount needed by about US$10 million, up to $91.9 million. So far, only 35 per cent of the required funding has been received.
