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Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Global Concern

February 3, 2016

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a human rights issue that affects girls and women worldwide. As such, its elimination is a global concern. In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a milestone resolution calling on the international community to intensify efforts to end the practice. More recently, in September 2015, the global community agreed to a new set of development goals -- the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) -- which includes a target under Goal 5 to eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and FGM/C, by the year 2030. Both the resolution and the SDG framework signify the political will of the international community and national partners to work together to accelerate action towards a total, and final, end to the practice in all continents of the world. More and better data are needed to measure progress towards this common goal.

Committing to Child Survival: A Promise Renewed Progress Report 2015

September 9, 2015

Twenty-five years ago this month, when the Convention on the Rights of the Child came into force, the world made a promise to its children. It was a promise to do everything we could to keep them alive, to keep them healthy, and to help them realize their full potential. Fifteen years ago, the world extended these promises through the Millennium Development Goals. They included cutting the number of young children dying before their fifth birthdays, keeping their mothers alive, and tackling diseases and deprivations that threatened their futures. And three years ago, we renewed those promises with the Child Survival Call to Action, which launched the A Promise Renewed movement to end preventable child deaths. Since then, nearly 180 countries have pledged to make child survival a priority -- and 30 countries have followed this pledge with sharpened strategies to address child mortality. This report takes stock of our collective progress towards fulfilling those promises.

Obligations and Actions on Children's Rights and Business

August 26, 2015

Children all around the world are consumers of businesses' products and services. Some interactions with business can benefit children. Companies have, for instance, created new technologies that enrich children's education, enhance medical care and connect families around the world. However businesses can also have a detrimental impact on children's welfare. Companies can make and sell unhealthy and unsafe goods to children, pollute the environments in which children live and play, and expose them to serious dangers in the workplace. It is very important therefore that governments take action to protect and promote children's rights in the context of business operations. The International Commission of Jurists and UNICEF have published a guide called "Obligations and actions on children's rights and business". It offers practical examples and best practice on how to protect and ensure the realisation of the rights of the child in the context of business operations.

Nepal Earthquake Humanitarian Situation Report: Three Months Review

July 25, 2015

This report discusses the current humanitarian situation in Nepal. Three months after the two major earthquakes affected 2.8 million Nepalese lives, 1.1 million children are still in need of vital humanitarian assistance. Three months after the devastating earthquakes of 25 April and 12 May which struck Nepal, the overall humanitarian situation has improved. The frequency of aftershocks has decreased and several countries have lifted their travel restrictions to Nepal. On 22 June, the Government of Nepal also declared an end to the emergency phase and a shift from humanitarian response to recovery. These recovery and reconstruction efforts are guided by the findings of the Government-led Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) and supported by the International Conference on Nepal's Reconstruction on 25 June where the international community pledged two-thirds ($4.4 billion) of the $6.7 billion appeal by the Government. The total financial losses from the earthquakes is estimated as $7.06 billion according to the PDNA findings.Despite these advancements, over 5.2 million people live in the 31 districts that have been affected out of which 2.8 million people who live in the 14 most affected districts are still in need of vital humanitarian assistance1. Of this population, an estimated 1.1 million (40 percent) are children. Shelter, food and livelihood support, medical care, sanitation and hygiene, education, nutrition supplements and protection remain as key humanitarian needs. As of mid-July, the number of casualties reached 8,8972 people of which 30 per cent are children3, and 22,310 people have been injured.The situation is projected to worsen with the impact from the monsoon which began mid-June. The heavy monsoon rains will add complexities to the existing needs and to the already challenging logistical access to remote districts, potentially delaying the post-earthquake recovery process. Indeed an estimated 90 per cent of the earthquake-affected population is living in areas which are at high risk of landslides and floods. Over 5,600 landslides were observed after the 25 April earthquake, which is much higher than the total number of landslides reported in the past five years combined.

Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water: 2015 Update and MDG Assessment

June 30, 2015

The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Program was established in 1990 and has monitored progress on global safe drinking water and sanitation targets since the Millennium Development Goals were launched in 2000. As the MDG era comes to a close, this report shows how far we have come and how far we still have to go, presenting updated global statistics and disparities by region and wealth. The report also gives an overview of the JMP's work creating, implementing, and expanding WASH monitoring systems over the past 25 years.

Children's Ebola Recovery Assessment: Sierra Leone

June 17, 2015

Nearly half the population of Sierra Leone is under the age of 18 years, and the impact of the Ebola crisis on their lives now and on their future opportunities has been far-reaching: no school; loss of family members and friends to the virus; and changing roles and responsibilities in the home and the community.To date, there has not been a formal process for children to outline their own priorities for recovery to decision-makers. In mid-March 2015, child-centred agencies conducted a Children's Ebola Recovery Assessment (CERA) in nine districts across Sierra Leone to create a mechanism for more than 1,100 boys and girls, to discuss issues of concern; assess the impact of the crisis on their roles, responsibilities and future opportunities; and to formulate their recommendations for recovery.The findings of the CERA powerfully demonstrate the diverse and interconnected impact of the outbreak for children living through the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. Children identified four issues of concern:The impact of school closure on their learning, social interaction and protection and their desire to return to education;The many and varied direct impacts Ebola has had on their lives, including grief, fear and anxiety;Limited access to healthcare for common health problems; andThe wider economic impact of the crisis on their families and communities, including access to food and family livelihoods.

Annual Results Report 2014: Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

June 1, 2015

This annual results report summarizes the significant progress that has been made in improving access to water, sanitation, and hygiene for children and their families. It also dicusses their strategic plan for the future and the challenges that remain due to inequitable access to facilities and services and the disparities that exist based on wealth, gender, ethnicity, and geographic location.

Water, Sanitation and Hygiene In Health Care Facilities: Status in Low- and Middle-income Countries and Way Forward

March 17, 2015

This report presents, for the first time, a global assessment of the extent to which health care facilities provide essential water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. Drawing on data from 54 low- and middle-income countries, this report finds that 38 percent lack access to even rudimentary levels of water. The World Health Organization, UNICEF, governments, and other partners must develop a global plan to address the pressing needs and ensure that all health care facilities have WASH services.

Advancing WASH in Schools Monitoring

February 1, 2015

This paper presents the data available for the coverage of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in primary schools. It aims to encourage global monitoring mechanisms and systems to expand its mandate and report on institutional WASH coverage, particularly in schools, as a key component of achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

Accountability in WASH: Explaining the Concept

January 1, 2015

This paper provides water practitioners with a toolbox of concepts to help identify which accountability factors affect the sustainability of water and sanitation service delivery and match this diagnosis to different solutions and options for action.

Improving Nutrition Outcomes With Better Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: Practical Solutions for Policies and Programmes

January 1, 2015

This publication summarizes the current evidence on the benefits of WASH for improving nutrition outcomes and describes how WASH interventions can be integrated into nutrition programmes. It provides practical suggestions targeted at nutrition programme managers and implementers on both "what" WASH interventions should be included in nutrition programmes and "how" to include them. It also seeks to help the WASH community to understand their role, both as providers of technical expertise in WASH interventions and in prioritizing longer-term improvements to WASH infrastructure in areas where undernutrition is a concern.

Maintaining the Momentum: Advancing Health, Learning and Equity Through WASH in Schools

November 1, 2014

This publication lays out guiding principles around four priority areas: daily group hand washing; menstrual hygiene management (MHM), WASH in Schools in the post-2015 development agenda; and strengthening the evidence base.