Attachments
Highlights
• As of 30 April, Uganda reported 81 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 52 recoveries, and zero deaths. Of the reported cases, nine were in children. The majority of cases were imported by travelers and truck drivers. The national lockdown, while effective in slowing the spread of the virus, is affecting access to essential social services.
• During this reporting period, 40,000 children (20,080 girls, 19,920 boys) were reached with home-based distance learning to ensure continuity of learning after schools closed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
• 10,309 children (5,216 girls, 5,093 boys) were treated for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in refugee-hosting districts and Karamoja as of April 2020.
• In April, 745,489 children and women (387,654 female, 357,835 male) continued to receive essential health care services, including immunization, prenatal, postnatal, HIV, and gender-based violence care in UNICEF-supported facilities.
• 800,000 risk-communication materials were distributed to 120 districts through partners in April 2020, strengthening COVID-19 information, education and communication (IEC).
• 428,294 adolescents were reached with information on how to report allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).
Funding Overview and Partnerships
The 2020 UNICEF Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal for Uganda is seeking US$50.12 million to sustain the provision of life-saving services to vulnerable women and children. UNICEF carried forward funds totaling US$12,642,147, which have enabled UNICEF and its partners to continue implementing humanitarian interventions. In 2020, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) have contributed US$593,225 and US$132,503 respectively to UNICEF Uganda’s humanitarian response. However, the 2020 HAC still has a funding gap of US$36,752,104 or 73 per cent. UNICEF seeks additional funding to complement the government’s efforts to protect the rights of children affected by emergencies.
UNICEF Uganda has revised its COVID-19 response plan and budget, taking into account additional needs outlined by national line ministries. The response plan now appeals for US$15 million for the COVID-19 response. UNICEF has so far received US$864,648 through generous contributions, leaving a funding gap of US$13.87 million, or 92 per cent. If these funds are availed, they will enable UNICEF and partners to ensure coordination and leadership, risk communication and social mobilization (RCSM), continuation of education services for children who are out of school, case management, infection prevention and control (IPC), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and infrastructure, and treatments including nutrition, mental health, and psychological support. To meet immediate COVID-19 response needs, UNICEF Uganda reprogrammed and reallocated funds from regular resources and received other resources from the Global Partnership for Education totalling US$2.7 million to procure urgent emergency supplies and support national and district coordination and programming.
In an effort to cover both the COVID-19 response and the potential gaps in basic service delivery due to the reprogramming of humanitarian funds, the Resident Coordinator’s Office and UNOCHA developed and launched a UN Emergency Appeal in April. For this appeal, UNICEF is requesting an additional US$23.9 million to cover certain COVID-19 activities as well as activities under HAC that may face constraints within the context of COVID-19 in Uganda.