ReliefWeb

The plan targets urgent needs driven by the Lake Chad basin conflict, the crisis in the North-West and South-West regions, the influx of Central African refugees, disease outbreaks and climate shocks.

As refugees from Ukraine in the Republic of Poland and the Republic of Moldova enter their third year of life in displacement, new data reveals an urgent need for increased assistance and support.

The appeal comes in the wake of last week’s tragedy off the coast of Djibouti in which at least 38 migrants, including children, lost their lives after their boat capsized and sank after leaving Yemen.

The total number of injured children is quite difficult to gather, but the most recent data documents more than 12,000 children – or almost 70 every day – injured since this conflict began.

Nearly 18 million people face acute food insecurity, 14 million of them children, and 70% of hospitals no longer work amid rising diseases. This catastrophic situation must not be allowed to continue.

Schools in Gaza have been closed to 625,000 students for six months. According to the Ministry of Education, as of 2 April, more than 5,479 students and 261 teachers have been killed in Gaza.

Southern Africa is facing the worst drought in decades, with millions facing extreme food insecurity and water shortages, amidst a growing climate crisis fuelled by the El Niño weather phenomenon.

UNICEF estimates that across the region, around 243 million children are exposed to hotter and longer heatwaves, putting them at risk of a multitude of heat-related illnesses, and even death.