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Representatives from UNICEF and UNHCR in Geneva have expressed grave concerns about a liquidity crisis that threatens essential humanitarian efforts, particularly those aimed at reducing child mortality rates, which have significantly improved by 60% since 1990.
UNICEF has managed to significantly decrease cases of severe acute malnutrition by one-third since 2000, saving the lives of approximately 55 million children through effective interventions. The organization emphasizes that continued collaboration is paramount to sustaining these achievements.
Kitty van der Heijden, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director, emphasized optimism in the face of challenges, stating, “There are ways in which we can still be optimistic if we know that we can do it.” However, she highlighted that such progress is contingent on a robust network of support from government partners, philanthropic entities, and private sector stakeholders. “We never do this alone,” she stressed, underlining the vital role of donors in providing lifesaving assistance to children and their families globally.
Risk of Reversing Progress
Despite past successes, van der Heijden warned that these advancements are currently at risk due to recent funding withdrawals, which she noted is a collective issue among multiple donors. “It is the fact that it’s a cumulative set of donors that are doing this. That really risks rolling back that progress,” she noted. Each funding decision has immediate repercussions for children’s lives, affecting their access to crucial support.
This year, funding shortages could jeopardize access to lifesaving resources for roughly 1.3 million children in Nigeria and Ethiopia. Projections indicate that by 2025, around 213 million children across 146 countries will require urgent humanitarian aid, according to UNICEF representatives.
Disruptions in Supply Chains
In the Afar region of northeast Ethiopia, UNICEF operates 30 mobile clinics designed to assist impoverished, nomadic pastoral communities. Van der Heijden recently described these facilities as merely “a sheet under a shaded tree.”
These clinics provide critical support, including supplements for pregnant and nursing mothers and essential treatments for conditions such as malnutrition and malaria. Unfortunately, reduced funding has led to the closure of 23 of these clinics, leaving only seven operational. “Without new funding, we will run out of our supply chain by May,” she warned, indicating that 70,000 children in Ethiopia could be left without necessary treatments.
Similarly, UNICEF’s operations in Nigeria face dire consequences, with potential supply shortages projected between now and May.
Importance of Preventive Measures
To ensure the continued health of vulnerable populations, investing in preventive measures, nutritional supplementation, and early screening is essential. Van der Heijden stated, “It’s not just about the treatment. We have to be able to prevent it getting to this stage.” During a recent visit to a hospital in Nigeria, she observed severe malnutrition in a child, emphasizing the urgent need for a preventive approach.
“As needs are rising, we need the global community to step up, to rise to the occasion, to keep investing in the art of the possible,” van der Heijden appealed, affirming UNICEF’s commitment to its mission. “All over the world, the price is the same. It’s children that bear the brunt of decisions in capitals.”
Failing Our Children
“If you’re holding a child that is about to die of a totally preventable, treatable disease, it is nothing short of heartbreaking,” van der Heijden lamented, urging the global community not to fail children through inaction.
The ongoing financial crisis is not only endangering lifesaving efforts but also poses security risks for humanitarian workers, complicating their ability to deliver aid effectively.
UNHCR Scaling Back Operations
UNHCR is facing similar financial constraints, leading to cuts in operations and programs. With a drastic reduction in funding from the United States government, the agency has begun assessing potential staff layoffs.
Matthew Saltmarsh, a UNHCR spokesperson, stated, “The biggest concern that we have is, of course, for refugees and the displaced, who will feel the brunt of these cuts.” The agency has already had to suspend several initiatives in regions including South Sudan and Bangladesh, and close office locations in countries such as Türkiye.
In Ethiopia, operations at a crucial safehouse for women facing threats have been halted. In South Sudan, only a quarter of the shelters for women and girls at risk of violence are operational, which has left around 80,000 individuals without access to necessary services, including emergency psychosocial support and vital medical assistance.
Source
news.un.org