Many of the 45,000 children in Mauritania's most populous refugee camp have been there for over a year now. They need stable education facilities.

Highlights

· The armed clashes in Central African Republic had an impact on the refugees coming into the East region. As of April 23 a total of 1,889 refugees arrived to Cameroon, mainly East - 800 asked for asylum in Yaounde and Douala and 490 Refugees have been relocated in Nandoungue Camp( East). UNICEF is active in the development of an Inter-Agency contingency plan both at regional and county level for the CAR refugees.

Worsening violence in Syria and subsequent degradation of access to basic services, including education and health care, has placed children at risk.

Highlights

• On 10 March, in Ethiopia, the Government of Sudan and South Sudan agreed on an implementation matrix outlining timelines for the execution of the nine agreements signed in September 2012.

• A formal directive was issued by the Government of South Sudan to facilitate humanitarian assistance, particularly with regard to expediting clearance of relief cargo and removal of taxation on all relief supplies.

• The situation remains volatile in Jonglei State, with more than 23,000 people displaced

Highlights

The total estimated number of children under five suffering from severe acute malnutrition this year is put at 120,000. From January to March, 308 cases of measles were reported.

HIGHLIGHTS

• SYRIA: Repair of urban and rural water supply systems in conflict-affected locations continued, with the number of beneficiaries in these locations reaching 452,300 persons.

• LEBANON: Last week all missions travelling to Baalbek were cancelled due to security concerns, affecting sector coordination meetings, field visits and implementation of WASH activities.

Maputo, 27 March 2013 – UNICEF signed today a partnership agreement with the major national mobile telecommunications provider Mcel and the Ministry of Health (MISAU), which would see all Mcel mobile telephone subscribers receive Facts for Life text messages once a month.

Highlights

• USAID Famine Early Warning Systems Networks (FEWSNET) predicts increases in food prices in Nigeria due to loss of crops from 2012 flood and due to insecurity in Nigerian Sahel

• In the month of January 2013, a total of 13,574 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) were admitted to 479 UNICEF supported Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) sites across Northern Nigeria