ECHO funds UNICEF's response for vulnerable children in the country

In August, The U.S. State Department announced $93 million in food aid to help nearly 1 million children in 13 countries beat severe malnutrition. Through UNICEF, this investment will deliver Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF),  a cost-effective, American-made product proven to save lives and boost local economies in the U.S. But here’s the challenge: this funding, while critical, is just a fraction of what’s needed to end global malnutrition. Last year the U.S. invested approximately $350 million in the fight, over $250 million more than has been provided so far this year.   U.S. investments in RUTF are a win-win—strengthening the American economy at home and saving lives abroad. 💡 We’re calling on the U.S. Government to ensure investments like this are part of a sustained commitment to ending child malnutrition for good. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eR4cb9DC #GlobalNutrition #RUTF #ForeignPolicy #ChildHealth Photo: UNICEFSouthSudan/Ryeng

Care groups in Mangwe District are an inspiring example of community-led resilience. By involving elderly women and adolescents, the groups strengthen the prevention of malnutrition and promote healthy, climate-adapted diets for young children. This approach not only leverages local knowledge and resources but also builds intergenerational solidarity to address nutrition challenges in vulnerable communities. With support from Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), UNICEF Zimbabwe and partners are working with communities to ensure every child has the right start to life. #ClimateActionToTheLastMile #KOICA

A school meal is not just food — it’s a lifeline and a lifetime of opportunity. 🍲 A simple meal can lay the foundation for a brighter future. Through #SchoolMeals, children’s cognitive development is enhanced, giving them the nourishment to learn, thrive, and dream. At the same time, families are uplifted, and local farmers and food systems grow stronger, creating jobs and building resilient communities. In Zambia, the Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme is active in 106 districts, benefiting over 4 million school children.  I have had the opportunity to interact with some teachers involved in delivering these school meals, who confirmed that the programme has improved school attendance, enrolment, and retention while empowering communities. Food is sourced from local farmers, and community members are engaged, volunteering or employed to prepare meals for the school children. Effective implementation of the HGSF programme also contributes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), and SDG 4 (Quality Education). Together, we can turn nourishment into lifelong opportunity. #SchoolMeals #ChildNutrition #CommunityDevelopment #SDGs

A new Ebola treatment centre in the DRC was built in just 10 days — 14 tents, solar power, and safe isolation rooms. The critical care unit (IDTM) went up in under 6 hours. Behind this collaborative achievement — blending innovation, national capacity building, and rapid deployment — were WFP, WHO, UNICEF, MSF, and our partners. Together, we demonstrated how fast, inclusive, and well-coordinated logistics can strengthen and optimize emergency health response systems. Quiet work. Big impact. https://lnkd.in/edBshXn3 #WFP #WHO #UNICEF #MSF #UNHRD #LogisticsCluster #HealthLogistics #Ebola #DRC #EmergencyResponse #HumanitarianAction #UniversityofTÜBINGEN #CarletonUniversity

As part of its emergency preparedness in Nigeria, UNICEF is launching this call for expressions of interest to strengthen its capacity for rapid, inclusive, and coordinated response in the areas of Health, Nutrition, WASH, Child protection, Education and SBC in Emergencies by pre-identifying partners with operational presence and capacities in hard-to reach-areas. The response will fully integrate the Core UNICEF Policy and Framework for Humanitarian Action as established in UNICEF Core Commitment for Children (cf for more details). The contingency partnership aims at responding to sudden onset emergencies such as cholera outbreaks, flood and related population displacement, banditry attacks and related population displacement. https://lnkd.in/dbTNizd7

One team against outbreaks & hunger When outbreaks strike, delays cost lives. The UN has launched a new joint system to cut through red tape: WHO, UNICEF and WFP will now act as one team, sharing real-time data, pooling supplies, and moving faster against both disease and malnutrition. Rose Mukonyo reports: https://lnkd.in/dvwPnr2U

In many parts of South Sudan, the nearest clinic can be an eight-hour walk. For mothers with young children especially, that distance can be a matter of life and death. Distance should never prevent people from getting care. With support from the World Bank through UNICEF, we are bringing essential services directly to communities through mobile outreach and trained Community Nutrition Volunteers. In Pibor, this initiative has grown from vaccinating 1,080 children each month at 21 sites to reaching over 10,000 children across 37 outreach centres. It’s another example of locally-driven solutions saving lives. Where access to healthcare is limited, we bring care directly to communities. 🔗 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/dsp8XCVW #ForAfrika #HealthcareAccess #SouthSudan

When discussing issues related to Non-Food Items (NFI) in the context of UNICEF programs, it is important to involve the right stakeholders. Public health experts are the most knowledgeable about why NFIs are distributed to a particular community as they understand the health-related needs and criteria that guide such decisions. I noticed that the currently discussion primarily involves water engineers while they play a valuable role and may understand the basic aspects of NFI distribution it is the public health professionals who can provide deeper, evidence-based insights into the rationale behind these interventions. As someone from Garissa with experience working on WASH programs with various NGOs I’ve seen firsthand the importance of having the correct technical voices in the room when such matters are being discussed UNICEF United Nations

I'm at Garowe TB Hospital in Puntland, where for over two decades, World Vision Somali, the Ministry of Health, and the The Global Fund have been working together to deliver life-saving tuberculosis services. I’ve witnessed the dedication of health workers who support patients through the toughest challenges, especially those who backslide in treatment due to malnutrition or other barriers. These setbacks can lead to drug-resistant TB, a serious threat not just to Somalia, but globally. But there’s hope. Community members and families play a vital role in ensuring patients stay on their treatment regimens, preventing relapses and helping them fully recover. “Diseases don’t respect borders. That’s why we must reach into homes, test, and treat, before TB spreads further.” Thanks to the Global Fund’s support, this work continues in places like Puntland, saving lives and restoring futures. #EndTB #GlobalHealth #WorldVision #GlobalFund #Somalia #Puntland #HealthForAll #TBElimination

USAID cuts have left thousands of malnourished children across the globe without the treatments they need to survive, and organizations that run malnutrition programs, like our client Helen Keller Intl, are seeing the effects firsthand. The New York Times spoke to Aliyu Mohammed Jabo, Helen Keller Intl’s director for Nigeria, about how these funding cuts are putting thousands at risk. Read the full story here: https://nyti.ms/48jtN0z