The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that it has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on humanitarian services in Benue State in the past seven years.
This was disclosed by Cristian Munduate, the Country Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria during her visit to Uikpam IDP camp and groundbreaking of Mother and child health Unit in Daudu, all in Guma local government area of the state on Wednesday.
Munduate, who was accompanied by Juliet Chiluwe, the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Enugu, identified areas UNICEF had supported the people of the state such as education, health care delivery and other aspects of life.
Fielding questions from journalists, the country representative said, “Several hundreds of thousands dollars have been expended in different aspects.
“We support in health system, we are fully engaged in the immunization campaign. We are looking for children who have never received one vaccination, it is important that we find them and reach them, so also our support with the women in the health facilities that unicef brings with the support of other donors,” she said.
“I earlier shared with the women here in the health facility that UNICEF with the support of donors brings the necessary Vitamin A to cover all women and all children in the country. It’s a huge amount of Vitamin A that we bring and the whole idea is that women and children come to have it whenever we have our one week of immunisation.
“We work with partners here in this health facility. Hopefully this year we can also have the birth registration facility so that children are properly registered which is important. When they have to go to school they need to have a birth history.
“Many families in poor condition receive vouchers or cash transfers. It is very important that their children are properly registered. That is why you should have the birth registration.”
The Country representative also paid a courtesy call on the State Governor, Samuel Ortom, appreciating his government for its partnership in the past years.
Governor Ortom, who was represented by his deputy, Benson Abounu, appreciated the support of UNICEF in education, health care delivery, conflict resolution and other aspects.
Ortom said, “At the time we came in 2015, unicef and other international donors had left the state but we were happy for your return after paying our counterparts fund and since then you have remained steadfast.
“We appreciate your roles in health, refugee services and conflict resolution, unicef has done a lot in Benue on immunization, primary health care service delivery and curtailing the out of school children.”
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