联合国儿童基金会加紧准备教学支援应付「非洲之角」新学期需要 | 最新消息 | 讯息中心

联合国儿童基金会加紧准备教学支援应付「非洲之角」新学期需要

2011-09-09

奈洛比／香港，2011年9月9日——「非洲之角」的新学年本周正式开始，然而当地旱情未纾，联合国儿童基金会（UNICEF）正密锣紧鼓为新学期作好准备，务求受灾儿童得以尽享重返校园，接受教育的好处。「如今我们在『非洲之角』的重任，不仅要为受灾儿童提供基础教育，更重要的是透过学校和儿童中心向他们灌输一些关乎拯救他们生命的知识，包括营养、个人衞生、环境衞生和健康教育等各方面的重要讯息。」UNICEF东南非地区主任Elhadj As Sy先生表示：「对于在难民营的女童和其他弱势儿童而言，学校不再是遥不可及的地方……在受灾的社区，供书教学的地方亦都是可让儿童享用清洁食水、衞生设施、获得营养餵饲的地方，甚至是儿童的庇护所，免他们于暴力和剥削的侵害。」

On 5 September, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Youssou NDour (second from right) listens to children sing at Illeys Primary School, in the Dagahaley refugee camp in the north-eastern town of Dadaab. The school is operated by the NGO Care International. From 5 to 7 September 2011, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Youssou NDour visited Kenya to focus renewed attention on the regions drought crisis, which continues to threaten the lives of 12.4 million people across the Horn of Africa. In Kenya, the number of people who are food insecure has increased from 2.4 million to 3.75 million, and food prices are at a record high. Some 385,000 children and 90,000 pregnant and lactating women now suffer from acute malnutrition in the countrys arid and semi-arid areas, and nationwide, the percentage of children at risk of acute malnutrition is growing. Cholera, dysentery, malaria and measles have been reported in the country, and rural communities are experiencing widespread livestock losses and conflict over pasturelands and water. A concurrent humanitarian crisis is unfolding in northern Kenya, where over 400,000 Somali refugees 56 per cent of them children have sought shelter in the Dadaab refugee camps. Mr. NDour, a world-renowned singer and long-time child advocate, visited refugees at the Dadaab camps, where UNICEF supports immunization efforts, therapeutic feeding and temporary learning spaces for children. He also visited the camps host community in the drought-affected town of Labisigale, where UNICEF provides water and sanitation services. UNICEF, together with the Government, UN, NGO and community partners, is supporting a range of interventions throughout the region. A joint United Nations appeal for humanitarian assistance for the region requires US $2.4 billion, of which 59 per cent has been funded to date. A majority of UNICEFs portion of the appeal has been funded.

On 1 September, a boy reads during the first day of classes at Yathrib Primary School, in the eastern town of Garissa. UNICEF is increasing its support to schools in drought-affected areas, distributing education kits to schools, bedding and mosquito nets to boarding schools, and temporary learning centres to refugee camps. From 5 to 7 September 2011, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Youssou NDour visited Kenya to focus renewed attention on the regions drought crisis, which continues to threaten the lives of 12.4 million people across the Horn of Africa. In Kenya, the number of people who are food insecure has increased from 2.4 million to 3.75 million, and food prices are at a record high. Some 385,000 children and 90,000 pregnant and lactating women now suffer from acute malnutrition in the countrys arid and semi-arid areas, and nationwide, the percentage of children at risk of acute malnutrition is growing. Cholera, dysentery, malaria and measles have been reported in the country, and rural communities are experiencing widespread livestock losses and conflict over pasturelands and water. A concurrent humanitarian crisis is unfolding in northern Kenya, where over 400,000 Somali refugees 56 per cent of them children have sought shelter in the Dadaab refugee camps. Mr. NDour, a world-renowned singer and long-time child advocate, visited refugees at the Dadaab camps, where UNICEF supports immunization efforts, therapeutic feeding and temporary learning spaces for children. He also visited the camps host community in the drought-affected town of Labisigale, where UNICEF provides water and sanitation services. UNICEF, together with the Government, UN, NGO and community partners, is supporting a range of interventions throughout the region. A joint United Nations appeal for humanitarian assistance for the region requires US $2.4 billion, of which 59 per cent has been funded to date. A majority of UNICEFs portion of the appeal has been funded.

因此，新学年是一个可让我们针对儿童健康、营养和其他急切需要的工作，得以提升及强化的大好机会。而在新学年开始之前，UNICEF已就儿童教学方面提供以下各项相关的支援：

无惧旱灾延续暑期教学

支持众多在肯尼亚受灾社区的学校，在暑假期间照常运作，令逾120万名儿童因而能够接受营养餵饲计划。
在本会协助下，在索马里一共有155所学校在暑假期间继续办学，以接收37,000名在当地内陆迁移的儿童。
而自本年初开始，UNICEF已成功协助120,000名索马里儿童就学。未来数月，有关的支援教学工作将进一步扩展，预料可惠及300,000名儿童。

建立「儿童友好家园」和学习空间

UNICEF在索马里的教学伙伴，正设立逾210所「儿童友好家园」，为多达15,000名儿童提供食水、衞生设施、心理支援等服务，並会派发粮食券予受助儿童。UNICEF亦联同当地的保护儿童伙伴，合共兴建350所「儿童友好家园」，並在9月15日前投入服务，预料可惠及30,000名儿童。
在埃塞俄比亚，UNICEF及相关的合作伙伴已为约8,000名学童提供临时学习空间和其他教学物资，並支援当地城市多洛阿多增建多4所学校，包括为约140名教师提供培训，装备他们为受灾学童提供心里辅导及宣扬和平的讯息。

增置大量教学物资

在肯尼亚，UNICEF与合作伙伴的服务已推展至多所学校和早期学习中心，为多逾60,000名儿童提供睡床、床垫、课室设备和「康乐百宝盒」等物资。
在肯尼亚东北部的达达阿比难民营，UNICEF亦特別在新学年开始之前，开设新学年预备班，並且增置帐篷学校和相关物资，以满足新增的教育需求。

受「非洲之角」目前的旱情影响，导致在灾区推行教育工作十分艰鉅。单在索马里中部和南部，估计已有180万名儿童因迁徙和治安问题被迫辍学，至于在肯尼亚，由于大批难民涌到当地寻求社区协助，学校正面对沉重的收生压力，平均每4所学校，只有约1所能够有限度收容新增的学童。