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Additional support from Sweden to help UNICEF accelerate its humanitarian response in Niger

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NIAMEY (Niger), 11th April 2018 – The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) commits additional US$840,000 to help UNICEF accelerate its humanitarian response in Niger. The country continues to face multiple and complex emergencies that are stretching the capacities of the government and humanitarian partners to respond adequately.

“Children in Niger face displacement, cyclical floods, drought, recurrent disease epidemics and outbreaks and malnutrition. The situation is exacerbated by instability in neighbouring countries, resulting in an influx of thousands of forcibly displaced populations, all needing access to quality basic social services,” states Félicité Tchibindat, UNICEF Representative in Niger.

In 2018, a total of 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children, is estimated to be affected by one or more of the crises impacting the country. UNICEF continues to provide multi-sectoral responses and strengthen the nexus between humanitarian interventions and development programmes, particularly in Diffa Region, where more than 419,000 people risk to suffer the humanitarian consequences of the three-year conflict affecting the Lake Chad region.

In 2017, SIDA’s financial support has helped improve access to sustainable drinking water in Diffa with the construction of connected water infrastructures, giving access to clean water to more than 11,000 people. UNICEF and its partners carried out campaigns to prevent malaria in high-risk districts reaching a total of 20,000 children. In child protection, the support contributed to the reunification and reintegration of children suspected of association with armed groups in the country. The funds also contributed to the delivery of non-food items (NFI) that benefited around 3,000 households (21,000 people) affected by the floods countrywide.

“We are profoundly grateful that SIDA has once again committed to the children of Niger who face multiple crises,” concludes Felicite Tchibindat. “SIDA´s support will allow us to accelerate our response and to better link humanitarian response with development programmes to strengthen resilience and start addressing the structural determinants of the fragility”.

More about UNICEF appeal on Humanitarian Action for Children in Niger: https://www.unicef.org/appeals/niger.html

About UNICEF
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, to build a better world for everyone.

For more information, please contact: Lalaina Fatratra Andriamasinoro, Chief of Communication, +227 8006 6018, lfandriamasinoro@unicef.org, UNICEF Niger Binta Saley Souley, Communication Officer, +227 9039 1928, bsaleysouley@unicef.org, UNICEF Niger