This is the News in Brief from the United Nations.
1 in 3 children in disaster and conflict hit countries not in school – UNICEF report
One in three young people between 5 and 17 years of age, who are living in countries affected by conflict or disaster, are out of school, according to a new report by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
That is nearly 303 million young people around the world.
Released on Wednesday, ahead of next week’s high-level general debate, the UNICEF report “A future stolen: young and out-of-school”, looks at the education situation from pre-primary to upper secondary age across all countries, including those affected by emergencies.
According to UNICEF head Henrietta Fore, when a country is hit by conflict or disaster, its children are “victimized twice”.
“In the near term, their schools are damaged, destroyed, occupied by military forces or even deliberately attacked, and they join the millions of young people out of school”, she said, adding that they seldom return in the years that follow.
She said the long-term result was that they, and most often their countries, “will continue to face perpetuating cycles of poverty”.
The report calls for more investment towards quality education in vulnerable, crisis-hit countries, where children and young people can learn in a safe environment.
Over 1 million affected by Typhoon Mangkhut in the Philippines
Over 1 million people remain affected by Typhoon Mangkhut, which made landfall in the Philippines on Saturday, as UN humanitarian agencies continue working with the Government and relief partners on a coordinated response.
It also flooded large areas of south-eastern China.
The Typhoon damaged nearly 6,500 homes in the Philippines – where it is known as Typhoon Ompong – and displaced some 148,000 people there, according to the UN relief wing, OCHA.
Agriculture and other livelihoods have also been severely hit, with reports of over $265 million in agricultural losses and over 281,000 farming families impacted.
Here is UN spokesperson Farhan Haq:
“The United Nations and our partners are working closely with the Government to coordinate rapid assessment and response. Major needs include food, healthcare, water, sanitation and hygiene and shelter. The World Food Programme (WFP) is transporting 1,000 metric tons of food for 166,000 families. The United Nations stands ready to support the Government’s relief efforts as needed.”
UN health agency publishes its first ever ‘investment case’
For the first time ever, the UN health agency, WHO, has published its case for more long-term investment in health and sustainable development by countries, which would save or prolong millions of lives across the world.
Launched Wednesday, the investment case describes how WHO and its partners could translate more long-term funding into helping save up to 30 million lives and add up to 4 per cent of economic growth in low- and middle-income countries, by as soon as 2023.
Achieving these results would require an investment of $14.1 billion between 2019 and 2023, representing a 14 per cent increase in its base budget over the previous five-year period, according to WHO.
These investments will help achieve the agency’s “triple billion” targets, namely, 1 billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage; a billion more better protected from health emergencies; and 1 billion more enjoying better health and well-being.
Omar Musni, UN News.
