Abu Dhabi: Unicef and the UAE Ministry of International Cooperation and Development signed a memorandum of understanding to help battle malnutrition among Syrian children affected by the ongoing crisis.
The memorandum outlines their cooperation to provide an integrated health and nutrition plan.
“Unicef and its partners are concerned about the deterioration in the nutrition status of Syrian children inside and outside Syria,” said Unicef Gulf Area Representative Dr Ebrahim Al Ziq. “Malnutrition is a silent threat among children, linked to poor hygiene, unsafe drinking water, diseases, lack of immunisation, and improper feeding practices of young children.”
UAE is supporting Unicef’s response with a contribution of $7 million (Dh25.7 million) for prevention as well as treatment that include screening of children for malnutrition, distribution of preventive and therapeutic nutrition commodities, and counselling and education of caretakers regarding feeding of infants and young children and nutrition.
“The UAE government, who has been a reliable supporter of children’s issues and of Unicef’s work, achieved the first position as the world’s largest donor country of official development assistance in 2013. This latest support will enable Unicef to ensure that malnourished children receive proper care in a functioning health facility and continuously screen children for malnutrition to help in early intervention and monitoring which will save thousands of children’s lives,” Dr Al Ziq said.
