Attachments
Highlights
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UNICEF received approximately 40 tonnes of medical supplies via a cargo flight donated to Venezuela by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aids Operation (ECHO).
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UNICEF completed the distribution of paediatric anti-retrovirals (ARV), enabling the treatment of 1,064 children across the country.
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UNICEF finalized the water supply system in the Cambalache Water Plant, Bolivar state, providing drinking water to over 5,000 people (including 780 girls, 800 boys) from the Warao indigenous communities.
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During World Breastfeeding Week 2020, the Nutrition Cluster and UNICEF conducted a series of webinars to encourage promotion of breastfeeding practice and support, reaching 870 participants from government entities and civil society organizations.
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Some 3,572 children (2,072 boys and 1,500 girls) were supported through integrated child protection programmes and services, including psychosocial support, legal assistance, case management, family support and referral to health and nutrition services.
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During the reporting period, the school feeding programme benefited 15,336 children (7,867 girls and 7,469 boys) in 20 municipalities across five states.
Funding Overview and Partnerships
UNICEF continues its efforts to meet the health; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); education; child protection; and nutrition needs of vulnerable Venezuelan girls, boys and adolescents, which have been further exacerbated by COVID-19. The UNICEF 2020 Venezuela Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeals for US$ 153.2 million to address the needs of 2.6 million people, including 1.7 million children and adolescents. As of 31 August 2020, UNICEF has US$ 59.9 available to support implementation of much needed child protection, including GBV education, health, nutrition, and WASH interventions, as well as to cover operational and logistics costs related to delivery of this assistance. Of this US$ 38 million is carry over from 2019, and another US$ 22.3 million has been raised in 2020.
Additionally, to address the imminent health risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF launched an appeal for an additional US$ 26.8 million under the UNICEF Global COVID-19 HAC. To date, UNICEF Venezuela has raised US$ 13 million for the COVID-19 response, primarily to: (i) provide health workers and other staff engaged in the response with personal protective equipment (PPE); (ii) provide hospitals and clinics with medical supplies and equipment, WASH supplies (including soap, hand-sanitizer, chlorine, masks, drinking water dispensers and disinfectant), safe water, and capacity strengthening on hygiene practices; (iii) strengthen Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) programming, by promoting effective COVID-19 prevention measures, such as hand washing, hygiene practices, physical distancing and other behavioural changes to curb the transmission of the virus; (iv) provide remote psychosocial support and ensure continuity of child protection and gender-based violence (GBV) services; (v) combat stigmatization; and (vi) contribute to mitigating the collateral impact of the outbreak on children.
UNICEF expresses its sincere gratitude to all public and private donors for the contributions received to date. Nevertheless, UNICEF calls upon the international community to provide additional and flexible support to reduce the remaining 61 per cent gap of the Venezuela HAC and the 51 per cent gap of the COVID-19 appeal. Potential prolonged funding gaps hinder UNICEF capacity to respond to pre-existing and urgent needs emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure continuity of critical services for children, women and vulnerable populations, including immunization for which urgent support is needed.