N´DJAMENA/BRUSSELS, 16 June 2014 - The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) has provided €1.3 million to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to combat severe acute malnutrition among children under five in the Sahel belt of Chad, UNICEF announced today.
“We are profoundly grateful that ECHO has once again committed to the children of Chad who suffer from malnutrition, a serious condition that can mark them for life,” says Bruno Maes, UNICEF Country Representative. “ECHO´s support will allow us to continue to tackle the nutrition challenges in the country, maintaining and improving the response of nutrition interventions and ensuring Nutrition Cluster efficient coordination.”
Nutrition remains a key concern in Chad, especially in the 11 regions of the Sahel belt, including the capital city of N´Djamena. The latest Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transitions (SMART) nutrition survey conducted in July 2013 found that 5 out of those 11 regions have malnutrition rates above the emergency threshold (15%) while 4 others have rates above the alert threshold (10%), as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
During the first months of the year, the number of children admitted for acute malnutrition in feeding centers supported by UNICEF and ECHO across Chad has drastically increased. According to current estimates, 180,000 children will need to be treated for severe acute malnutrition in 2014. This situation is extremely worrying.
“The levels of acute malnutrition in Chad are a major concern. With this additional funding to UNICEF, our three main objectives are to secure the pipeline of therapeutic food for malnourished children, ensure effective coordination of the nutrition sector and support nutritional surveys,” says Thomas Dehermann-Roy, Head of Office for the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) in Chad.
In close coordination with nutrition partners, including governmental and non-governmental organizations, UNICEF will support existing systems to improve the quality as well as increase the accessibility of basic services in 33 health districts of the Sahel belt, in a total of 471 health facilities.
UNICEF, as the Nutrition Cluster lead, in collaboration with the Director of Nutrition Department from the Ministry of Health, will help to improve the coordination and monitoring of actions among implementing partners and among the various clusters intervening in the Chad emergency areas. This will lead to increased efficiency and effectiveness of partners' interventions towards the treatment and prevention of severe acute malnutrition.
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About UNICEF UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: www.unicef.org
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About the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) The European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) funds relief operations for victims of natural disasters and conflicts around the world. Its aid is provided in an impartial and neutral manner to people in need, regardless of their nationality, religion, gender, ethnic origin or political affiliation. ECHO is among UNICEF’s largest humanitarian donors. For more information visit: http://ec.europa.eu/echo
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For further information, please contact: Lalaina Fatratra Andriamasinoro, Chief of Communication, UNICEF Chad +235 66 36 00 42 lfandriamasinoro@unicef.org
Anouk Delafortrie, Regional Information Officer, European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO): +221 77 740 92 17, anouk.delafortrie@echofield.eu
