Bangui. Italy sending 400,000 euros in response to the crisis

In response to the grave humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic, Italian Development Cooperation has allocated 400,000 euros to UNICEF to support initiatives to help children. (http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Sala_stampa/ArchivioNotizie/Approfondimenti/2014/02/20140214_Bangui.htm)


First tranche of a total of 1 million euros

This is the first tranche of a total contribution of 1 million euros announced at the donors conference in Brussels in January 2014. The funding will be used for a 12-month child protection and education programme in the north-west of the country, the region worst-hit by the crisis.


Psychological and social support for 10,000 children and training for local leaders

The programme will focus on preventing gender-related violence, psychological and social support for 10,000 children affected by the war and training initiatives for local leaders and for social and government workers to protect children from violence. Another focus will be to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers. The most recent data put the number of displaced persons fleeing the fighting at 935,000, over half of whom are in Bangui, the capital. 350,000 of the refugees are children.


UN-INTERSOS humanitarian flight

The UNICEF donation follows closely on the arrival in the Central African Republic of a humanitarian flight organised in collaboration with the UN logistics base in Brindisi and INTERSOS, a non-governmental organisation. The flight brought essential supplies to Bangui.