UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Cristian Munduate addressing journalists at UNICEF office in Maiduguri.
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) has called on individuals, public and private organizations, NGOs and international partners to continue to support and invest in the 1.9 million children and youths that are affected by conflict in the north east, who do not have access to basic and quality education .
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Ms. Cristian Munduate made the call on Tuesday in Maiduguri at the UNICEF Field Office, during a media chat with journalists on her maiden familiarization visit to all UNICEF funded and coordinated projects in Borno State which have either been completed or ongoing.
She said the visit was aimed at assessing the situation, the needs and progress made as well ascertain areas of more needs, interventions and collaborations with the government, non governmental organizations and partners.
She further said that during her visits to some schools, Hajj Transit Camp which accommodates the voluntarily surrendered or repentant insurgents and IDPs, UNICEF pledged to do everything possible to continue to support the Nigerian government on the health, education, and well being of the children.
According to her, 56% of displaced children across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are out of school where I in 3 children in the north east are out of school. And only 29% of schools in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states have teachers with the minimum level of teaching qualification while average pupil-teacher ratio in the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states is 124 to one teacher .
She added that only 47% of schools have adequate furniture with lower proportions in Yobe State (32$}, and Adamawa state (25%} while fewer than half of schools (46%) have access to adequate and safe drinking water, with an average of 262 students per latrine .
She pointed out that about 3 million boys, girls women and adolescents across the Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are affected by acute malnutrition. And over 300,000 children between the age of 0_-59 months are affected by Severe Acute Malnutrition. 4 to 10 children in north east Nigeria are affected by one forms of malnutrition.
Ms. Munduate| also said that from available statistics, 5.5 million people in the north east need equitable access to quality healthcare services while appealing for government and non governmental organizations to actively participate and commit resources for the betterment of the children especially the vulnerable children.
She noted that more than 1000 functional health facilities in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are grossly understaffed , especially, the technical staff which is 576 per 100,000.
According to her, “In the key states of Adamawa, Borno, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, and Yobe states 1,497,622 people including women and children have reached life saving Primary Health care PHC interventions and 835, 946 children aged 6 months to 15 years have received measles vaccine while 36,501 stilled birth were recorded in 2022 and 381,303 women attended care and post natal care in 2022.
“In October 2022, UNICEF supported the federal government of Nigeria to reunify 1,026 unaccompanied and separated children from their parents as orphans. This is an uptick to 972 children reunified in September 2022.
“In September 2022 alone, 3, 5604 children formerly associated with armed groups were reintegrated compared to a total of 4,412 children comprising of 2,242 girls and 1,932 boys released by armed groups with their families.
“Also, Over 299,000 children comprising if 111,876 girls and 115,217 boys have been provided with psycho social support and access to child friendly spaces with international interventions”.
She therefore urged the government at all levels o continue to cooperate and support children education.
