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UNICEF appeals for 14 mln USD to support refugee children in Europe

Xinhua, September 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) on Friday appealed for 14 million U.S. dollars to assist refugee and migrant children in Europe, following an 80 percent increase in the number of children on the move into the continent.

According to the latest available Eurostat data, a total of 133,000 children sought asylum in the European Union between January and July, an average of 19,000 children every month. One in every four asylum seekers is a child.

"With so many children on the move, and with winter in Europe approaching, our priority has to be caring for these children now," said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF's Special Co-ordinator for the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe.

"Working alongside governments and other partners across Europe, wherever our support is needed, UNICEF will do all it can so that refugee and migrant children are safe, healthy and that their rights and dignity are fully respected, " she added.

In the coming 12 months, the appeal money will be allocated to support services such as child-friendly spaces at reception center, provide child health and nutrition information to families, support education and learning programs,etc.

UNICEF is also offering assistance to European governments so that their policies and procedures with regard to refugee and migrant children are always implemented in the best interests of children, and in line with internationally accepted standards.

As the numbers of child refugees and migrants arriving in Europe has increased in recent months, UNICEF has already ramped up its support in Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and is offering its support to governments and local partners to identify needs in Greece, Hungary, Slovenia and Austria.

UNICEF also emphasized that its humanitarian programs in Syria and neighboring countries, where together some 7.6 million children are in need of assistance, remain seriously unfunded. Of the 903 million U.S. dollars required for 2015, only about half of that amount has been secured so far this year. Endit