Attachments
Highlights
• Through COVAX facility, UNICEF continues to support the delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine doses. Over 1.2 million people have received at least one dose of vaccine in Rwanda.
• Over 2,000,000 people continue to be regularly reached with key messages on COVID-19 prevention and access to services.
• 7,443 children aged 0-6 years (51 per cent girls) are enrolled in ECD services in Mahama refugee camp through centre-based and home-based settings.
• In 2021, UNICEF has mobilized US$ 1,8 million, representing 30 per cent of the funding needed to address the urgent needs of women and children.
Situation in Numbers
2,2,000,000 children in need of humanitarian assistance
(UNICEF 2021 HAC)
4,000,000 people in need
(UNICEF 2021 HAC)
146,831 Refugees
(UNHCR December 2020)
Funding Overview and Partnerships
UNICEF Rwanda Country Office continues to mobilize funding to be able to maintain and scale up its humanitarian action to address the essential and critical needs of refugees – more than half of whom are women and children – in the current context of heightened vulnerability in and outside of camps due to COVID-19 pandemic.
As of 30 September, UNICEF has raised US$ 1.8 million, representing 30 per cent of the appealed $6 million amount needed to continue delivering life-saving services to refugees, children and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic impacts.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
In addition to the continuing assistance to people who have sought refuge in Rwanda, the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases which started in June, the emergence of new variants, and the increase in the number of deaths related to COVID-19 were among the salient elements of the humanitarian context during the third quarter of 2021.
To control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Rwanda (GoR) decided a lockdown in the city of Kigali and in 8 out of 30 districts of the country from 17 to 31 July. The lockdown has been lifted since the beginning of August following an improvement of the pandemic situation while maintaining other preventive measures to control the spread of the virus. As of 28 September 2021, with the support of the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, more than 1.2 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine and around 2.8 million tests have been conducted. Rwanda has cumulatively reported 1,259 COVID-19 deaths related to COVID-19, almost the triple of those reported by end June (420 deaths).
As the pandemic continues, significant gap persists with regards to the coverage of WASH services in the refugee camps and host communities. Despite funding constraints, UNICEF continues to support the GoR to mitigate the secondary effects of COVID-19 on children and families, including in providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for community health workers (CHWs) and child protection volunteers. UNICEF also continues to support the GoR response to refugees and preparedness efforts to prevent other deadly outbreaks, including EVD.