More UN funds needed for children

Dubai: A third of the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) global appeal for 2008 is needed to aid children and women in conflict-ridden and disaster-prone areas in the Middle East and North Africa, according to the agency's Humanitarian Action Report (HAR).

The Arabic version of HAR which calls for both immediate relief and long-term development in affected areas in the MENA region was launched yesterday during a press conference at the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid and Development Conference (DIHAD).

The funding requirements to the MENA region has increased by some $100 million compared with 2007.