UNICEF programmes severely underfunded

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Angola on Wednesday called for further support from donors for its health and education programmes, warning that the critical shortage of funds was seriously hampering its operations. "Now, more than at any time since independence, Angola possesses enormous potential for recovery and prosperity. But with funding for programmes in health and education floundering at below 20 percent, UNICEF warns that it is fighting to meet the enormous demand created in post-war Angola," the agency said in a statement. Since its Consolidated Appeal (CAP) for US $23.872 million in 2003, UNICEF has received 19.9 percent of the required funds for health, and just $452,000 of the US $4.88 million requested for education. The organisation noted that while it continued to provide vaccines, essential drugs and bed nets to the most vulnerable communities, it needed to upscale these services and move beyond life-saving measures. UNICEF Country Representative Mario Ferrari highlighted the recent National Measles Campaign, which is estimated to have prevented 70,000 child deaths and saved more than US $16 million in hospital treatment. "Real signs of hope are on the horizon and yet the reality remains severe in Angola. We are tackling child mortality, but still far too many Angolan children needlessly die. Land mines continue to ruin hopes for normalcy, and too many children know nothing of the joys of good health or a classroom. Change costs money, but we can assure donors that their funds make a sizeable difference," said Ferrari. Support for nutrition and child protection also were lagging. Of the US $1.7 million requested for nutrition, UNICEF received just US $210,000 (or 12 percent), while for child protection it received only US $248,000 (or 11 percent) of the $2.3 million requested.