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Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Friends of WFP Enewsletter - June 2009
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Children carrying the burden of work in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, as in many other countries, the child labour problem is rooted in poverty and in socioeconomic inequalities based on gender and disability. Already, 30 percent of Afghan children aged 5 to 14 are engaged in some form of work.
Girls face particular hardshipsNafissa, 13, is one such child labourer. She toils along the border at Torkham, smuggling in heavy bags of flour from Pakistan. For now, Nafissa’s dream of someday becoming a teacher remains intact, and she says she still hopes for “a peaceful Afghanistan where each and every child gets a proper education.”
Her friend Masooma, 14, seems more concerned with the present challenge of avoiding the border police.
“They are very mean to us, and they beat us every time they catch us smuggling flour,” she says.
Girls in Afghanistan face particular disadvantages and hardships because of discriminatory traditional practices and attitudes. More than boys, they are expected to take on unpaid household work for their families, which may include child care, cooking, cleaning and fetching water and fuel.
Focus on education and preventionTo combat growing child labour concerns in Afghanistan, UNICEF is supporting the National Strategy for Children at Risk, which aims to help the most vulnerable families protect and care for their children.
UNICEF is giving particular attention to children, like Nafissa and Masooma, who work along the border. In Torkham, 400 working children were given learning opportunities and over 1,000 working children took part in UNICEF-sponsored activities in 2008.
With strong contributions and involvement from the local communities, UNICEF is also facilitating the reintegration of out-of-school children. More than 160,000 children across 26 provinces are now attending UNICEF-assisted community-based schools.
Additional efforts are under way this year, as UNICEF and its governmental and non-governmental partners work to strengthen basic services and supports for working children and their families in their places of origin. The goal is to prevent families from ever having to send their children away from home to work, whether in the border areas or elsewhere.
Friday, June 19, 2009
WHO and UNICEF
Build school and health infrastructure according to disaster resilience standards;
Conduct assessment of the safety of hospitals and schools and take remedial action to make them safer;
Ensure all hospitals and schools implement emergency and disaster preparedness programmes, including staff training and exercises;
Listen to and support communities in disaster risk reduction through education and training.
WHO and UNICEF highlighted these issues during the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, a key gathering of the world's risk reduction community organized by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) in Geneva from 16-19 June 2009.
Disasters have a major health, educational, economic, physical, and psychosocial impact on the most vulnerable, notably children, women and aged persons. Besides destroying human lives, disasters damage hospital and school infrastructures, disrupt educational cycles, exacerbate poverty, force children to drop out of school, and affect the resilience of communities.
The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, which caused some 240,000 deaths in ten Asian and African countries, raised global awareness about the importance of disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness.
The massive earthquake that struck China’s Sichuan Province in 2008 left 88,000 people dead or missing, 400,000 injured, and 11,000 hospitals damaged or destroyed. Over 12,000 schools or 40 per cent of all schools in Sichuan were damaged, resulting in thousands of children being killed or injured. These events highlight growing concern over the effects of disasters on education and health.
Children are among the most at risk and an estimated 175 million children annually will be affected by disasters. In recent years, large numbers of schools have been destroyed by disasters resulting in the loss of lives of children and the stalling of access to education. Children also suffer from the psychosocial effects of disasters, hindering their opportunities for development.
"The destruction and carnage inflicted on hospitals, schools, and the people who use them are senseless losses that could have been prevented in many cases," said Dr Eric Laroche, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Action in Crises. "Such tragedies can be avoided or reduced if governments adopt disaster risk reduction strategies aimed at protecting people's health. One prime way of doing this is making hospitals safer by enforcing and implementing building codes to ensure quality construction, training staff to be prepared for emergencies and assessing existing health facilities to learn what, if any, vulnerabilities they may have."
A High Level Panel on Safe Schools and Hospitals, jointly organized by UNISDR, UNICEF, UNESCO, WHO and World Bank during the Global Platform consultation, covered the experience of France, Mexico, Philippines and Tajikistan in making hospitals and schools safer from disasters and emphasized the vital role that scientific evidence plays.
Mexico has demonstrated that it is possible to make hospitals safer by applying a Hospital Safety Index to hundreds of hospitals across the country and strengthened them to be more resilient and better prepared to respond to emergencies and disasters.
Risk reduction is an imperative for education as well as health.
“The school must be a safe place that protects children and defends their right to education,” said Louis-Georges Arsenault, UNICEF’s Director of the Office of Emergency Programmes. “However, children can also serve as powerful protagonists for change. The integration of disaster risk reduction into the school curriculum equips children with knowledge of the risks, and what actions can be taken to mitigate the risks. Education is therefore an important aspect of risk reduction. Not only is it a child’s right, but education also protects lives and safeguard development gains.”
UNICEF and WHO are active members of the UNISDR system and advocate globally for the protection of schools and hospitals from disasters. The current and previous biennial World Disaster Reduction campaigns organized by UNISDR have been devoted to "Disaster risk reduction begins at schools" (2006-2007) and "Hospitals Safe from Disasters" (2008-2009). WHO is also devoting its 2009 World Health Day to the theme "Save lives. Make hospitals safe in emergencies."
Thursday, June 18, 2009
India’s Silent Tragedy: Maternal Mortality Finds a Voice
The Maternal and Prenatal Death Inquiry and Response (MAPEDIR) innovation extends across select districts in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh (MP), West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Bihar providing an ongoing, systematic collection of data to reconstruct and analyze the cases of 1,600 women -- the highest number of audited maternal deaths in the world.
“The tragic reality is that too often maternal deaths are not visible. They don’t leave any trace behind, and their deaths are not accounted for”
MAPEDIR empowers communities by demystifying maternal mortality. The accumulated evidence can help communities understand the root causes behind these deaths so they can take effective, local action and advocate for improved services to prevent future deaths. In addition, MAPEDIR informs health officials about the challenges local women face in accessing reproductive health care.
“The tragic reality is that too often maternal deaths are not visible. They don’t leave any trace behind, and their deaths are not accounted for,” said UNICEF India’s Deputy Director of Programmes, Chris Hirabayashi, at a meeting bringing together health officials from all six states. “UNICEF is committed to continue working with the National Rural Health Mission to promote surveillance as a key strategy to lower maternal and child mortality.”
The Indian Government estimates that 301 women die annually for every 100,000 live births. In some states the maternal mortality ratio is even higher - 358 in Orissa, 371 in Bihar and 379 in MP. Since many deaths happen in the anonymity of women’s homes or on the way to seek help at a medical facility, they often go unrecorded. An estimated 80,000 pregnant women or new mothers die each year in India often from preventable causes including hemorrhage, eclampsia, sepsis and anemia.
For India to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by three quarters till 2015, social and economic factors like the low status of women in communities, the poor understanding of families on when to seek care, a lack of transport, poor roads, the cost of seeking care, multiple referrals to different health facilities and a delay in life-saving measures in rural areas need to be addressed.
Medical records only capture part of the story, documenting the biological causes of death. This new knowledge identifies the other crucial factors that contribute to mothers dying so that solutions can be identified by communities and health systems.
“Unless we know the main reasons for maternal deaths we cannot take effective measures to tackle them. The traditional system did not deal with the issues adequately,” said Director of Medical and Health Services in Rajasthan, Dr S.P. Yadav. “Now using MAPEDIR, we can know if the deaths are due to delays in decision making at household level or lack of transport or delay at the facility or a cumulative of all three.”
The Indian Government estimates that 301 women die annually for every 100,000 live births. In some states the maternal mortality ratio is even higher - 358 in Orissa, 371 in Bihar and 379 in MP. A team made up of state government health and nutrition officials and NGO members, headed by a member of the local village council or Panchayati Raj Institution, conducts interviews with surviving family members at community-level. Technical support is being provided by UNICEF with funding from the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development (DFID).
“The MAPEDIR data is an empowering tool that builds community awareness on rights and participation in women’s health issues,” said an associate at John Hopkins loomberg School of Public Health, Dr. Henry Kalter, who helped guide the process. “It builds awareness to take local action and generate demand for health services that will save women’s lives and ultimately their newborns.”
By raising awareness of the tragedy of maternal mortality, communities and policy makers are motivated to take action to improve health services, such as a referral transport scheme in West Bengal and a community-based obstetric helpline in Rajasthan that were put in place following the findings. “These are major innovations to increase the value of women’s lives,” said UNICEF India’s Chief of Health section, Marzio Babille,.
MAPEDIR follows a six step process:
1. Sensitizing communities on maternal and prenatal health issues, including birth preparedness and complication readiness; 2. Reporting and investigating maternal deaths; 3. Interviewing all families with a maternal death to determine the biological and social causes; 4. Analyzing and interpreting the data (embed data sheet); 5. Sharing the finding with communities to develop appropriate, high-impact, local interventions; 6. Monitoring the interventions with ongoing maternal death inquires and developing new evidence-based interventions as needed.
Angela Walker, Chief of Communication, UNICEF IndiaTel: +91-98-181-06093, E-mail: awalker@unicef.org
Alistair Gretarsson, Communication Specialist, UNICEF IndiaTel: +91-98-715-35586, E-mail: agretarsson@unicef.org
Monday, June 15, 2009
Support Bill to Address Global Hunger
"We have the resources to end hunger in our lifetimes – what we need is the political will to make it happen." – Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.). Last week, Reps. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) introduced H.R. 2817, a comprehensive legislation to address global hunger and improve food security. Called The Roadmap to End Global Hunger and Promote Food Security Act of 2009, the bill is based on the recommendations of "The Roadmap to End Global Hunger," a report released in February by Friends of the World Food Program and a broad-based coalition of nonprofit organizations. The Roadmap Act calls for the United States government to develop a comprehensive strategy to address global hunger. It also calls for better coordination by creating a White House Office on Global Hunger and Food Security and by establishing a joint permanent select committee in Congress to focus on hunger. Call your representative today and ask him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 2817, The Roadmap to End Global Hunger and Promote Food Security Act of 2009  TRANSPARENCY, EFFICIENCY AND EXCELLENCE
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Sunday, June 14, 2009
On World Day against Child Labour, one Nepali girl's story of a fresh start
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| © UNICEF/2009/Taylor |
| Former child labourer Maya Waiba plays karom, a South Asian game, in Hamro Ghar (Our House), a rehabilitation centre for former child workers from carpet factories in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu |
By Sam Taylor and Sarah Crowe
World Day against Child Labour, celebrated on 12 June, this year highlights the continuing challenges to eliminating the worst forms of child labour, with a focus on exploitation of girls. Here is a related story.
KATHMANDU, Nepal, 12 June 2009 – Maya Waiba was still shy of her 10th birthday when a labour contractor in her impoverished village in the south of Nepal promised her parents that she would receive a decent salary and an education in Kathmandu. What Maya got instead was a back-breaking job as a weaver in a carpet factory.
Today, Maya, now 12, shudders when she talks about her old life in the carpet factory and how the contractor fooled her and her parents. "Working there was awful. I was beaten frequently, and had to work up to 18 hours per day in summer and winter," she says.
'I can get a much better life'
The eldest of six sisters, Maya was brought to Kathmandu on the empty promise of having a better life there. This promise only came true when she was rescued and brought to a rehabilitation centre in Kathmandu for former child workers, which is run by Rugmark Nepal, a UNICEF and International Labour Organization-funded project to end child labour in the carpet manufacturing sector.
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| © UNICEF/2009/Taylor |
| Three boys – one 10 and two 11 years of age – show their hands, calloused from months of work in carpet factories in Kathmandu. |
The centre is called Hamro Ghar (Our House). Its mission is to give exploited children a fresh start after their harsh labour in the carpet factories.
"The best thing about my life now is getting an education," Maya says. "With an education, I can get a much better life than I had, and I will make sure that my children will get an education too, as I don't want them to have the same experiences I had."
Physical and sexual abuse
Rugmark Nepal, which is part of a global initiative, regularly inspects around 120 factories in Kathmandu to ensure that they do not employ children. The organization issues certificates to exporters to assure their clients that no child was exploited during production.
In addition, Rugmark Nepal works to reunite child labourers with their parents. If that is not possible, the children are placed in Hamro Ghar, where they can receive an education and vocational training.
The children at the centre have youthful faces but aged hands bearing scars from months – or years – of hard work at the looms.
"There is a lot of physical abuse," said Ganga Bhattarai, a counsellor with Rugmark Nepal. "Both boys and girls are often beaten when they make mistakes, and sometimes girls are sexually abused – particularly those who have no family members in the factory."
Girls are 'hidden face' of child labour
For Maya's part, a new life at Hamro Ghar has given her hope for the future. "I now dream of becoming a teacher. I want to teach small children, and I would love to be able to help my younger sisters," she says.
Maya's story is all too common in South Asia, where levels of child labour remain distressingly high, especially for girls. Sadly, most child labourers are never rescued; an estimated 44 million children in the region are being deprived of their childhood and education because they are forced into work.
"Data does not capture the hidden face of millions of girls forced into child labour in South Asia. Girls remain in the shadows, out of sight and at great risk of further exploitation," said UNICEF South Asia Regional Director Daniel Toole. "In tough times, families take desperate short-term measures, such as withdrawing their daughters from school to earn additional money for the family. But depriving girls of education robs them and their families of a decent future."
Counting the uncounted
South Asian nations all have some form of legislation banning child labour, but the practice remains endemic and culturally acceptable. High levels of poverty across the region and a lack of education and awareness among parents pushes more children into work. Governments are attempting to tackle the issue.
"States are making a concerted effort to combat more visible child labour in the formal sector, but they fall short in combating child labour in the agricultural and other informal sectors," said UNICEF South Asia Regional Advisor on Child Protection Guillemette Meunier.
The percentage of boys and girls who must work varies from country to country. However, huge numbers of girls in the region remain uncounted because they work in unregulated and domestic sectors, and this work is seen as having little economic value. UNICEF is supporting vocational training and promoting the education and skills training of teenage girls in particular, as studies have shown that educated girls earn more and are more likely to educate their own children.
"The long-term solution for eliminating child labour lies in reducing poverty, promoting access to employment, improving the quality of education and expanding access to schooling for disadvantaged groups," said Ms. Meunier.
Friday, June 12, 2009
In India’s Bihar State, economic crisis hits the poorest of the poor
UN Public Service Award honours water supply initiative in Gujarat, India
IKEA-supported training helps ‘hero’ at early-childhood centre in Assam, India
UNICEF and IKEA support ‘permanets’ to save lives from malaria in India
Press release
Academy Award recognition for India’s fight to eradicate polio
International Development Agencies ‘Unite for Nutrition’ call for continued commitment and leadership
Historic moment expected as millions and millions of South Asian children prepare to make an ordinary act extraordinaryPublications
Learning from Experience: Water and Environmental Sanitation in India
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Tsunami stories from India
India: Tsunami two year update
In southern India, children’s centres play vital role in tsunami recovery [with video]
India: Water, malaria and nutrition are key issues in Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ recovery
India: Water and sanitation are keys to recovery on Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Previous Tsunami stories from India
Official updates
Children and the Tsunami, A Year On: A Draft UNICEF Summary of What Worked [PDF] Search
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Country Programme - India (2008-2012)
Operations Type: Development Operations (DEVs)
The country programme for India (2008–2012) is consistent with WFP’s Strategic Plan (2006–2009), the priorities of India’s 11th Five Year Plan and the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2008–2012).
It takes into account lessons learned from previous interventions and the recommendations of the mid-term evaluation of the 2003–2007 country programme.
Strong economic growth continues in India, resulting in a substantial reduction in poverty; but food and nutrition insecurity remain high. India is home to 40 percent of the world’s undernourished children and prevalence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies is among the highest in the world – yet India has some of the world’s largest food-based welfare schemes.
WFP’s assistance in India has shifted from food delivery towards capacity-development to support India’s own schemes to reach its nutritional objectives and the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of underweight children by 2015.
The programme will concentrate on improving the effectiveness of India’s schemes to reach the hungry poor and ensuring that better quality food is provided. A minimal amount of food will be resourced for the purpose of introducing innovative models with defined lifespans in a cost-sharing scheme with the Government.
WFP will continue its advocacy to place food and nutrition awareness at the centre of national development policy. Renewed emphasis will be placed on expanding partnerships and making new ones with a view to integrating food and nutrition security into the context of health and sanitation. Programme components will as far as possible be targeted to coincide in priority districts where the United Nations Children’s Fund and other United Nations partners are present.
The strategic objectives are:
enhanced government capacity to improve the efficiency and quality of food-based safety-net programmes (Strategic Objective 5);
improved nutrition of women and young children (Strategic Objective 3);
improved livelihoods for vulnerable communities that rely on depleted natural resources in degraded environments (Strategic Objective 2).
The proposed budget from regular resources is US$17.8 million to cover direct operational costs for the food needs of 961,500 beneficiaries for five years. The budget based on expected regular contributions covers only part of the needs; WFP will seek additional funding to meet the estimated requirement of US$33.8 million for an estimated 2 million beneficiaries.
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