MILLIONS OF CHILDREN’S FUTURE BLIGHTED BY FUNDING CRISIS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

MILLIONS OF CHILDREN’S FUTURE BLIGHTED BY FUNDING CRISIS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

GENEVA, 26 February (OCHA) -– The future of millions of children in six southern African countries is being put in jeopardy by a massive lack of funds and international support for crucial aid projects, according to a warning issued today by eight United Nations agencies at the launch of the Mid Term Review of the Consolidated Appeal for southern Africa.

The United Nations has so far received $324 million, of which only $24 million is for non-food activities.  This represents just 14 per cent of the estimated $164 million requirements to cover the urgent needs in these sectors during the period July 2003 to June 2004.

“After millions of children have been saved from starvation, it is tragic that their lives now remain at risk from a lack of clean water, adequate sanitation and proper health care”, said James T. Morris, United Nations Special Envoy for Humanitarian Needs in Southern Africa.  “Unfortunately, without additional funds, crucial projects in these fields will have to be scaled back, while others may never be implemented at all.”

Immediate and substantial donations are needed to assist 6.5 million vulnerable people, many of them children, in the six countries covered by the United Nations appeal -– Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In particular, funds are required to support projects targeting orphans and vulnerable children.  Many are now being cared for by overstretched relatives or, increasingly, are themselves heading households.

Orphaned children face enormous hardships:  many lack access to food and health care and are often forced to drop out of school, which threatens their most fundamental rights and prospects for the future.

“Three million children in the region have already lost one or both their parents.  We cannot stand idly by and see them lose their futures too”, said Mr. Morris.  “The world must provide more money.  We cannot afford to let these children down, because if we do, we will have failed an entire generation and an entire region.”

Due to the massive lack of funds some key projects are threatened.  Some of the United Nations Children’s Fund’s projects targeting vulnerable children and orphans are yet to be funded, while the United Nations Population Fund’s programme to keep orphaned youths in school in Lesotho has received no support.

The picture is not entirely bleak.  Donors have provided over 70 per cent of the food aid needs under the appeal, benefiting millions of people, including very vulnerable children.  For example, in the six countries concerned, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) are providing a nutritious meal at school to more than 400,000 children -– improving enrolment, attendance and performance.

“With these generous donations of food aid, we’re ensuring that people stay alive.  But that’s simply not good enough”, said Mr. Morris.  “We have to empower them to take charge of their own futures and not create dependency.”

The triple threat from severe drought, the HIV/AIDS pandemic and weakened government capacity has created a fragile situation in the southern African region.

The humanitarian crisis led to the July 2003 launch of the Consolidated Appeal by the United Nations Agencies, in collaboration with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and key non-governmental organizations for $642 million to address critical needs in Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

At the time of the launch, hopes were high that the growing humanitarian threats in the region could be checked by the concerted efforts of the international community supporting national Governments. But the momentum of international support for humanitarian efforts in 2002/2003 has not carried through into 2003/2004.

A copy of the Mid Term Review can be obtained from www.reliefweb.int.

Issued by the following United Nations agencies at the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination and Support Office:  Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO); United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF); United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS); and World Health Organization (WHO); World Food Programme (WFP).

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHA New York, tel.: 917 367 5126, mobile: 917 892 1679; or Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, tel.: 41 22 917 2653, mobile: 41(0) 79 473 4570.

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