Donors, development partners and UN joint programmes contributed over US$135 million to UNICEF programmes, including through multi-donor Development Funds to respond to the needs of women and children in Zimbabwe, an annual report shows.
UNICEF annual report also reveals that the government launched Zimbabwe Learning Passport increased access for an additional 80,000 users to digital learning and created 3,700 local content learning materials.
The UN Agency also worked with the government to develop innovative approaches in 2021, especially in response to the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It also mobilized US$11.79 million of humanitarian funding benefitting 1.9 million children in a response to the urgent needs of women and children affected by Cyclone Idai, cholera, typhoid, and COVID-19 last year.
The UNICEF Country Representative to Zimbabwe Dr Tajudeen Oyewale said his organisation went up a gear in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the southern African country.
“The support to the healthcare system contributed to sustaining essential health and nutrition services, and the COVID-19 vaccination rollout,” Oyewale said.
“We worked with the Government to introduce several measures to continue learning during the pandemic, and to reopen and keep schools safe.”
Zimbabwe faced the second, third and fourth waves of infections last year.
Other achievements by UNICEF and its partners in 2021 include providing treatment to 81% of the adolescents affected by HIV/Aids
The organisation reached almost 400,000 children with emergency nutrition interventions and supported basic water supply services to more than 1,2 million people.
UNICEF also provided learning opportunities to 150,000 children with disabilities and
out-of-school children and ensured child protection services to 98,000 children in need of special
assistance
