WIREDGOV

About 8.5 million children and youth live in areas affected by Ebola in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia 

UNICEF said recently it needs over $200 million to respond to the Ebola outbreak that has claimed over 2,400 lives and ravaged communities across West Africa. This is part of a broader, six-month appeal for $987.8 million that governments and humanitarian agencies require to fight the disease. 

“Ebola is killing people and undermining futures,” said Afshan Khan, UNICEF Director of Emergency Programmes. “It is closing schools, destroying health systems and threatening the very fabric of communities. This is a crisis of enormous proportions.”   

Of the $200 million, nearly $65 million will go to UNICEF’s programmes in Liberia, around $61 million to Sierra Leone and more than $55 million to Guinea. An additional $10 million will help neighbouring countries be prepared for a potential spread of the disease within their borders. The remaining $9 million are required for regional coordination efforts. 

UNICEF estimates that 8.5 million children and young people under the age of 20 live in areas affected by Ebola in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. Of these, 2.5 million are under the age of five. 

From working with communities to raise awareness of the disease and providing essential hygiene supplies since the first days of the outbreak, UNICEF has stepped up its response as Ebola continues its deadly spiral. The children’s agency, present in all affected countries, has been rushing in essential supplies and providing life-saving information in the heart of affected communities on how families can protect themselves. 

Examples of such effort by UNICEF and its partners include:

• With support from the World Bank, Japan and USAID, airlifting 544 metric tonnes of supplies to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with almost 50 flights since early August. These supplies include protective equipment, hygiene items and essential medicines. 

• Supporting the Government of Sierra Leone in conducting a three-day public awareness campaign, 19-21 September, by helping train volunteers and providing accurate information on Ebola. 

• Installing water and sanitation facilities in Ebola treatment units in the three countries.

• Training community health volunteers, teachers and others and help spread life-saving information on Ebola.

• Working to avert non-Ebola disease outbreaks and provide basic services to women and children.

• Providing psychosocial support to children affected by Ebola.

“We need to work with communities,” Khan said. “We can save lives now if every country, every agency that has the means to support, does so.”

Notes to editors:

For more information, please contact the UNICEF UK press office on 020 7375 6030 or media@unicef.org.uk

About UNICEF

UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation for children, working in over 190 countries to help every child realise their full potential. We work with partners to transform the lives of children everywhere. UNICEF provides health care, water, nutrition, education and protection for children. The most vulnerable and disadvantaged children are our priority. As champion of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, we work to protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF UK raises funds for UNICEF’s emergency and development work and advocates for lasting change for children everywhere. We are a UK registered charity, supported entirely by voluntary donations. We do not receive any money from the UN. For more information, please visit www.unicef.org.uk