Around the world: Daily updates from UN country teams - January 2024
Our UN teams are on the ground in 162 countries and territories, coordinating joint programmes and tackling a range of multi-faceted priorities and key initiatives on a daily basis — from climate action and food security to gender equality and safety of civilians. UN Resident Coordinators and their teams utilize innovative approaches to problem-solving to better serve communities. Below are some highlights of their work this month.
Wednesday, 24 January
Cameroon: First malaria vaccination programme
Cameroon rolled out the first malaria vaccination programme against malaria this week. Led by Resident Coordinator Siaka Coulibaly, our UN team in Cameroon is working closely with the Government to accelerate the elimination of this disease by ensuring that people have access to this vaccine. The vaccine is being rolled out to all children under six months old in 10 regions across the country. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners supported the national health authorities in the preparation of the launch and its rollout. UNICEF’s efforts include the acquisition, transportation, and distribution of the vaccines, as well as the organization of training programs for healthcare personnel, which will continue going forward. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also deployed a total of 36 colleagues to the districts rolling out the vaccination campaigns. WHO also supported financially to the tune of $280,000 for production of tools, organization of community engagement meetings, monitoring of the disease evolution data management amongst others. As of this week, preliminary reports indicate that over 1,800 6-month-old children have been vaccinated out of the 250, 000 children targeted for 2024.
Tuesday, 23 January
Tanzania: UN team assisting after devastating floods
In response to the recent devastating floods in Tanzania, our UN team, led by Resident Coordinator Zlatan Milisic, remains on high alert, ready to further assist through the Emergency Coordination Group upon the Government’s request. The UN team and partners have been supporting the affected area of Hanang in the northeastern Manyara region for the past month. Approximately 140 people are injured, with over 9,000 affected and 760 displaced. Critical aid is reaching about 9,000 people, and the World Food Programme (WFP) provided three-month rations. Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) is focusing on disease prevention, while the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is providing water and sanitation services, distributing hygiene kits, water tanks, and more. For their part, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) distributed 1,200 dignity kits for women and girls, while the International Organization for Migration (IOM) joined the UN team’s assessment to further support the needs of internally displaced people.
Friday, 19 January
Zambia: Unprecedented cholera outbreak
Our UN team in Zambia reports an unprecedented cholera outbreak that has killed over 400 people, with over 11,000 suspect cases, in the past three months. In response, our team on the ground, led by Resident Coordinator Beatrice Mutali, is supporting the Government to contain and avert further spread of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have provided 1.7 million vaccines, deployed 26 experts, and made available over US$600,000 to the cholera response. Our colleagues are also mobilizing support from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the European Union, and other partners, in addition to immediately providing 320,000 sachets of Oral Rehydration Solution, nearly 6,000 test kits and chlorine, soap, personal protective equipment. We are supporting the national campaign to curb the spread of cholera, which reached around seven million people with messages on prevention and access to services.
Mali: Bolstering women in all branches of Government
Staying in Africa, we have an update from our UN team in Mali, led by Resident Coordinator Alain Noudéhou, as they join the country’s efforts to empower women. As recently agreed with the Minister for Women, Children, and Family, one key UN team focus is to accompany the government’s initiatives to bolster women in all branches of Government, as Mali aims to reach 40 per cent of female representation in its institutions, jumping from around 20 per cent today. UN Women is partnering with all ministries to ensure a gender-sensitive budget, both nationally and for local development plans. In the last eight months, UN Women and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have trained more than 500 civil society actors, including women leaders, on electoral conflict resolution and electoral violence mitigation. Also, more than 200 journalists working in the cities of Gao, Koulikoro, Mopti, Ségou and Bamako benefited from training on gender, elections, and managing misinformation and disinformation in 2023. Additionally, UN Women and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) are working with local partners, reaching vulnerable women, victims of gender-based violence, living with disabilities or affected by HIV. The UN team is also working on cross-border initiatives in response to the region's evolving peace and security challenges.
Lebanon: Responding to increased needs of population on the southern border, near the Blue Line
Responding to the increasing needs of the population on the southern Lebanese border in the past three months due to intensified daily exchanges of fire across the Blue Line, our UN team in Lebanon has been supporting the Government in their national preparedness and response efforts. More than 82,000 people have been displaced, as of last week, requiring emergency assistance. The UN team, led by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Imran Riza, and our humanitarian partners have to date provided 61,000 core relief items, 28,000 clothing items, 241,000 daily meals, and almost 8,300 food parcels to displaced people living in collective shelters and for those staying in host communities. In addition, around 60,000 people received one-time cash food assistance, and over 1,700 children received nutrition. The UN team and partners continue to scale up response but much more is needed as the conflict has caused significant damage to livelihoods, hindered children's education, and posed challenges to humanitarian access, particularly along the Blue Line.
Friday, 12 January
Cabo Verde: Triumph over malaria
Cabo Verde achieved a crucial milestone today as the World Health Organization (WHO) certified it as malaria-free, making it the third African country to attain this status after Mauritius and Algeria. This announcement, made by the WHO Director-General and Cabo Verde's Prime Minister, marks a triumph over malaria, a disease that disproportionately affected Africa, contributing to 95 per cent of global cases and 96 per cent of global deaths in 2021. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended Cabo Verde's success in strategic public health planning and collaboration. UN Resident Coordinator Patricia Portela de Souza emphasized the broader impact of Cabo Verde's malaria-free status on its sustainable development path, particularly in boosting tourism, which accounts for 25 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product. Our UN team played an important role in bolstering Cabo Verde's efforts, providing technical assistance, information campaigns, and delivering essential equipment to combat mosquito-borne diseases. This certification not only reflects progress in the global fight against the disease but also instills hope for a malaria-free world using existing tools and emerging solutions, including vaccines. [Please see press release for more information.]
Ecuador: UN team offers to boost support as country addresses critical security challenges
We have an update from our UN team in Ecuador, led by Resident Coordinator Lena Savelli, who met with authorities yesterday offering to boost support as the country addresses critical security challenges. As part of ongoing efforts, in addition to training the national police, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is supporting the Government in collecting data and tracking the dynamics of illicit crops, from their production to drug trafficking. UNODC is also providing technical assistance for the upcoming National Strategy Against Organized Crime. Responding to insecurity and violence, UN Women, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and UNODC are strengthening Ecuador's efforts to strengthen institutional capacities, with funding from the UN’s Peace Building Fund. We are also focusing on violence and conflict prevention, including local plans for citizen security, emphasizing women and youth, with recruitment prevention efforts. Our team is also partnering with the public and private sectors to address the root causes of engagement in illicit activities. UNDP and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are working to increase job opportunities for youth and to help transition young people from informal to formal employment.
Thursday, 4 January
Iran: UN team offers assistance for critical care needs, including trauma care and counseling
Following up on the Secretary-General’s statement yesterday on the attack in Iran, our UN team on the ground extended their condolences and offered assistance for critical care needs, including trauma care and counseling for the survivors.
Interested in more? Check out previous daily updates from UN teams 'around the world':
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