UNREPORTED
News on the United Nations System at Work
Reported by Zahra Sethna

UN Photo

Celebration of First Day of School in Afghanistan
On 23 March, nearly 2 million elementary students celebrated the first official day of school in Afghanistan, known in local languages as “Sabak” or the “return of learning”. Many of the children, both boys and girls, returned to a formal classroom for the first time in six years. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) supplied over 7,000 tonnes of learning materials to nearly every school in the country, providing textbooks, blackboards, pencils, notebooks, teaching aids, tents as temporary classrooms, and other materials.
UNICEF: Making Progress in Afghanistan

Safe Haven for Children in Liberia
Children in Liberian camps for internally displaced people can now seek refuge in Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) - areas of the camp providing facilities for children to play, learn and acquire life skills in a safe environment. CFS will also provide mothers with an area to care for infants and will strive to create a sense of normalcy for children during a time of conflict and insecurity. UNICEF and other child welfare agencies set up similar spaces in Gujarat for victims of the earthquake there in 2001, and also in El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Sudan.
Effects of Armed Conflict on early Childhood

Ethiopia and Eritrea Free of ‘Child Soldiering’
After a recent visit to Eritrea and Ethiopia, Olara Otunnu, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, reported that he had seen no systematic use of children as soldiers and no evidence of child abuse in refugee camps. He said that the absence of child military recruits and lack of abuse could be attributed to good coordination and control between local authorities and communities, which are involved in organizing and monitoring life in camps and distributing provisions.
Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict

Homage to the Seafarer
A memorial to international seafarers was unveiled in a ceremony at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London. The sculpture, depicting the bow of a cargo ship with a lone seafarer on deck, stands 7 metres high and weighs 10 tons. In a message for the ceremony, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said: “The majority of world commerce is transported by sea, making seafarers one of the pillars of the global economy. The men and women of the industry are a dedicated group, who work hard in difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions.” The memorial now graces the front of the IMO building and is an added sight for visitors.
International Maritime Organization

Conflict Jeopardizes Polio Eradication in the Sudan
A nationwide vaccination campaign in the Sudan was disrupted when members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army detained 14 health workers conducting vaccination activities. Three were assaulted, and vaccination equipment and personal effects were looted before the workers were released on 23 March. The Sudan is on the brink of eliminating polio, but access to all children and the security of health workers are critical to achieve success. UN agencies urged all parties to allow health workers free access and observe “Days of Tranquility” during the next round of vaccinations. “The goal of eradicating polio is in sight”, said Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF, “but it can only be achieved with unhindered access to all children.”
A World Without Polio

Bridging the Digital Divide for African Women
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) announced the formation of a unique Global Advisory Committee, comprised of African information technology entrepreneurs, as well as representatives from the private sector and the UN system. The Committee of twelve experts will work with UNIFEM on a programme to help bridge the digital divide in Africa, by providing women with access to information communication technologies (ICTs) to improve their livelihoods. Under the guidance of the Committee, UNIFEM will provide training for African women’s organizations and business associations in the use of ICTs, and help them create business partnerships and access financial support.
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)

Fraction of TB Patients Get the Best Care
A World Health Organization report stated that only 27 per cent of the world’s tuberculosis (TB) patients are being reached by DOTS, the internationally recommended strategy for TB treatment and control. DOTS is thought to be the best chance for controlling the global epidemic. Its five key components - government commitment to sustain TB control; case detection by sputum microscopy; standardized treatment of six to eight months; a regular supply of essential TB drugs; and a standardized reporting system - can cure up to 90 per cent of all tuberculosis cases. The report stated, however, that by the end of 2000, 148 of 210 countries were implementing the DOTS strategy - an increase of 21 countries since 1999.
WHO: Stop TB