- With a total of 14,759,132 confirmed cases and 263,323 deaths, as of 11 October 2021, COVID-19 pandemic continued to affect the life of children, and add to the pre-existing deprivations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. In addition to the direct and indirect effects of the pandemic, the region faced with increased risk of refugee influx from Afghanistan and Ethiopia.
- To mitigate the impact of the pandemic on children, UNICEF supported national efforts to ensure continuity in the provision of essential services to children. UNICEF provided personal protective equipment (PPE), life saving equipment and medicine to health centres in Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia. More than 1.4 million women and children have accessed UNICEF supported health facilities.
- Promoting school reopening across the region, in Tunisia, UNICEF supported the return of 2.1 million children to school. In Algeria, UNICEF supported Sahrawi authorities to ensure the access of about 40,000 children to quality education. In Djibouti, UNICEF delivered 40,000 school bags with essential learning materials to children, including 4,500 refugee children, and 800 children in non-formal education settings.
Situation in Numbers
32 million children in need
16 million people need nutrition services
49 million people need WASH services
24 million children need protection services
110 million children need access to school
Source: UN Children’s Fund