$350 million raised
by UNICEF this year

Most procurement

sourced from local market

The UN children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised $350 million so far this year. This represents 73 percent of its planned budget for 2016.

The funds have been used for several programs: Children protection and gender-based violence, adolescents and youth, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, health and nutrition, and basic assistance.

Luciano Calestini, Deputy Representative at UNICEF, said: “Before the crisis began, our local budget was only two million dollars. We wouldn’t have dreamt of accomplishing this much.”

Calestini said that last year 78 percent of every dollar they spent, which was $230 million, was injected directly into the economy.

Between 6,000 and 7,000 jobs have been created for locals this year, directly and indirectly, according to UNICEF.

In general, Calestini said that 85 percent of the services and supplies UNICEF procures come from the local market.

“The remaining is medication and vaccines. Some are not available locally and others are too expensive,” he said.

UNICEF procures these medicines from a low-cost supplier in Copenhagen.