COVID-19

Situation reports are the main reporting tool to monitor UNICEF’s humanitarian response. They provide an update on the situation and needs of children in a country or region, as well as information on UNICEF’s response and funding requirements.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have far-reaching consequences for 550 million children under the age of 18. This UNICEF Child Alert examines how the disease and measures put in place to contain it are impacting the lives of children across the region, exacerbating existing threats like conflict, climate change and…

In Lebanon, outreach workers are trying to help improve the uptake of free routine vaccinations

When COVID-19 hit Burundi, UNICEF and partners set to work on a massive communication campaign promoting handwashing with soap to stop the transmission of the virus. Immediately, a serious issue needed to be addressed: how can Burundians practice hand hygiene when many cannot afford buying soap? Nearly 90 per cent of Burundi's 12 million…, Making handwashing accessible, To help solve this problem, UNICEF approached SAVONOR, the biggest industrial soap producing company in Burundi, and reached an agreement: SAVONOR would reduce its own profit margin in soap production, and UNICEF would further subsidize the production – effectively cutting the price of soap in half. SAVONOR would also use its distribution system…, Spreading the word, Making soap affordable was only part of the solution. In partnership with the Ministries of Health and Communication, UNICEF developed messages on COVID-19 prevention measures to reach Burundians in every province. Mini radio programmes and television spots were broadcast on every media outlet in Burundi. UNICEF developed training modules and…, Tangible results, During the first four months of the programme, SAVONOR was producing 10 million bars of blue soap every month. By September 2020, the initiative had produced and sold over 20 million bars throughout Burundi’s 18 provinces. Risk communication and support to hygiene in healthcare facilities helped complement public health and the economic benefits…, Widespread support, In June, newly elected President Évariste Ndayishimiye publicly expressed his support for the initiative, bringing even greater visibility and awareness of the importance of hand hygiene. With its widespread capacity for coordination and communication, Government involvement was critical to the success of the communication campaign and to…

NAIROBI/JOHANNESBURG, 22 September 2020 - UNICEF has called on governments, parents and teachers across Eastern and Southern Africa to urgently and safely re-open schools, as the costs of continued school closures escalate across Eastern and Southern Africa. While there are encouraging reports that 13 out of 21 countries in Eastern and Southern…

BEIRUT, 25 AUGUST 2020 – UNICEF has been able to deliver 18 shipments of critical humanitarian supplies, totalling 67 tons, through two airlifts and commercial cargo routes to support children and families affected by the Beirut explosions earlier this month. The shipments included vital personal protective equipment (PPE), medical, health hygiene…

Even before explosions in Beirut on 4 August 2020 claimed at least 180 lives, and left thousands more injured, the situation for many children and families across Lebanon was precarious as they faced political instability, a battered economy, unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic. A month on, urgent support and action is needed to help families cope…, Donate now to help children in Lebanon, What happened in Beirut? On 4 August, two explosions ripped through the port area of Lebanon’s capital, leaving at least 180 dead and an estimated 6,500 injured. The blasts destroyed and damaged buildings across the city. Six major hospitals and 20 clinics sustained partial or heavy structural damage, while the port – the country’s lifeline for…, How is UNICEF helping?, Lebanon. UNICEF employees help with the safe transfer of vaccines from a damaged warehouse in the port area of Beirut. UNICEF employees help with the safe transfer of vaccines from a damaged warehouse in the port area of Beirut. UNICEF, together with partners from the Lebanese government, municipalities, local and international NGOs, the private…, How you can help, This catastrophic explosion further worsened the economic crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic emergency facing the Lebanese people. The needs for children and families are immediate and they are huge. UNICEF is appealing for $50 million to respond to the immediate needs of children and families over the next three months. The response focuses on the…

BEIRUT, 6 April 2020 – UNICEF has procured and delivered medical supplies to 194 Primary Health Care Centres to support the healthcare frontline workers and population at risk in Lebanon. This includes 650,000 pairs of gloves, 830,000 surgical masks, 34,000 N95 respirator masks, 26,750 gowns and 3,000 infra-red thermometers, among other health…