Funded Projects2021 Funded Project: UNICEF USA

July 15, 2022

Committed to Saving Children’s Lives

UNICEF USA is an organization that works to offer each child an equitable chance in life by providing health care and immunizations, access to safe water and sanitation, nutritious meals, quality education, emergency relief, and more. With the help of the American public, UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization. Recently, the organization has committed itself to providing life-saving assistance to children in some of the hardest-to-reach districts in Yemen.

Assisting the World’s Most Vulnerable Populations

In honor of Chris’ adventurous spirit, love of people, and passion for travel, the Chris Mikesell Foundation aims to support organizations that offer assistance to people in desperate need around the world. Seven years into the conflict, Yemen remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with 20.7 million people, roughly 71 percent of the total population, needing humanitarian assistance. With increased fighting in Marib Governorate, the destruction of shelters for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), and threatening infrastructure, cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) have increased, and conflict-ridden areas have forced families to flee their homes. To help reach these vulnerable populations, UNICEF USA has continued to support health and nutrition interventions through community-based activities for affected populations and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The Chris Mikesell Foundation has generously supported UNICEF since 2011 in a partnership to meet the needs of the world's most vulnerable children...

“The Chris Mikesell Foundation has generously supported UNICEF since 2011 in a partnership to meet the needs of the world’s most vulnerable children. With the generous support of the Chris Mikesell Foundation, UNICEF continues to deliver life-saving health, nutrition, WASH, education, child protection, and social protection services to millions of children in need in Yemen.” – UNICEF USA

Finding Strength in Resilience

With the additional $3,000 of funding contributed by the Chris Mikesell Foundation in 2021, UNICEF was able to further its efforts of helping vulnerable populations in Yemen by providing durable, cost-effective solutions that strengthen the resilience of local institutions and communities. UNICEF specifically supported interventions in the following areas of interest:

Health

Between January and October 2021, more than 15,800 healthcare providers received Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19. Equipment included gloves, masks, gowns, face shields, and goggles and was provided to 3,644 health facilities throughout 330 districts in 22 governorates. Additionally, 12,723 healthcare providers were trained on proper COVID-19 Infection Prevention Control (IPC), 53,947 children received their third dose of the Pentavalent vaccine, and 17,500 women received the Tetanus and Diphtheria (Td) vaccine.
Nutrition

UNICEF’s nutrition programming focused on preventing and treating malnutrition for children and caregivers, with 6,321,179 children successfully screened for malnutrition between January and October 2021. Of these, 242,136 children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) were identified and admitted to Outpatient Treatment Programs (OTPs), and 26,059 children with complications were admitted to Therapeutic Feeding Centers (TFCs). During the same period, 2,477,221 children received deworming tablets, 2,963,719 children received micronutrient supplements, 1,893,446 mothers received iron folate supplementation, and 2,584,023 mothers received infant and young child feeding counseling.
Child Protection

During the reporting period, 4,632,037 conflict-affected children and caregivers were able to benefit from Mine Risk Education (MRE) activities. These MRE campaigns through TV were inclusive for children and adults with speech and hearing impairments, assisted by scripts and sign languages. Through a network of fixed and mobile child-friendly spaces, UNICEF provided psychosocial support to 41,117 people across 11 governorates. A total of 42,495 people, including 37,432 children and 5,063 primary adult caregivers, were supplied with community-based mental health and psychosocial support.
Education

In 2021, UNICEF ensured the continuity of learning for all children in Yemen, specifically implementing a workshop on girls’ education launched jointly with the Deputy Minister of Education and the Deputy Minister of Planning and International Affairs. The program aimed to address the high dropout rates of females in Yemen and propose practical solutions to reduce the enrollment gap between male and female students. UNICEF was also able to provide 62,441 children with necessary learning materials, offer 15,422 students access to the repaired WASH facilities, and distribute 990 school desks.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

UNICEF continued to achieve steady progress on WASH activities for vulnerable communities, helping provide 4,371,052 people access to safe drinking water. Moving forward, UNICEF will continue to support the construction and repair of emergency latrines and hygiene promotion, focusing on using and managing sanitation facilities to achieve access to basic sanitation and end open defecation in camps. In urban areas, UNICEF supported the repair of existing sewage systems and waste treatment.
Social Protection and Inclusion

As part of UNICEF, support was provided to Children With Disabilities (CWDs). Nearly 50 development and humanitarian actors participated in a workshop to discuss the situation of CWDs in Yemen, advocate for involving CWDs in participating organizations’ programs and interventions and develop a coordination mechanism to support persons with disabilities. Additionally, the Disability Classification Manual was finalized to help enhance the case management system for the Handicap Care and Rehabilitation Fund (HCRF).
Communication For Development

About 34,000 families were reached through the communication and social mobilization activities of the Polio, Measles and Rubella (MR), and Vitamin A vaccination campaign. Communication and social mobilization interventions for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign continued in 13 governorates in the south through multiple approaches, including mass media messaging and community engagement activities. Mass media support for the vaccination campaign was provided through 25 radio stations and six TV channels that aired the campaign messages through flashes, public service announcements, and dedicated discussion programs. An estimated five million people were reached through these activities.