UNICEF receives ECHO grant of €1M to address humanitarian needs of Palestinian children – UNICEF press release

ECHO grants EUR 1 million to address
humanitarian needs of Palestinian children

Jerusalem, 31 July 2013 – The European Commission’s Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (ECHO) has allocated EUR 1 million to UNICEF to help address ongoing humanitarian needs in child protection, safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to Palestinian children and vulnerable communities.

This recent contribution brings the total of ECHO’s support to the work of UNICEF and its partners to more than USD 20 million since the year 2005.

“This valuable support will advance the emergency preparedness and response plan for safe water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as enable psychosocial professionals to provide rapid and quality support to more than 40,000 children and their caregivers and increase their ability to cope during times of crisis,” said Ms. June Kunugi, UNICEF Special Representative.  “While addressing immediate humanitarian needs, the support will also enhance the resilience of Palestinian children and their caregivers in the face of adversity.”

The funding will also be used to support cluster coordination in water, sanitation and hygiene, and a cluster database management system.

In 2012, with ECHO’s funding, UNICEF and partners, through 16 psychosocial emergency teams, reached more than 27,000 children with individual and group counseling sessions and recreational activities; supported sensitization workshops for more than 13,000 caregivers; and trained more than 600 psychosocial professionals. This enabled children and their caregivers to enhance their coping skills during times of crisis and also equipped caregivers with needed knowledge on how to better manage and support their children during an emergency.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works in more than 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: http://www.unicef.org

ECHO aid in Palestine:

Since 2000, the European Commission has provided almost €670 million in humanitarian aid funding.  Almost a quarter of the 2013 budget of €35 million is allocated to core actions such as humanitarian coordination, protection, and emergency response. Nearly €10 million is going towards food assistance, primarily in Gaza and to a lesser extent in the Area C of the West Bank. Funding is also geared towards access to water and sanitation, psycho-social and health care for the populations most affected by the occupation. The funding benefits more than 2 million Palestinians.

For further information, please contact:

Catherine Weibel, Chief, Communication, UNICEF, mobile: 054 7787604, email: cweibel@unicef.org

Fadwa Baroud, ECHO, mobile 0598 887495, email fadwa.baroud@echofield.eu

For further information, please visit us:  UNICEF-EU portal:

http://www.unicef.org/eu/