UN Watch [to 19 July 2014]
:: UN OCHA: Central Emergency Response Fund allocates $1.4 million to fight measles outbreak in Somalia
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Excerpt
Mogadishu, 14 July 2014: The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated US$1.4 million for an emergency campaign to combat the outbreak of measles in Somalia, that has already left thousands of children at risk of disability and death. The funding will be used to vaccinate 520,000 children under 5 years in the worst affected areas of Banadir, Lower Juba and Puntland.

Around 4,000 suspected cases of measles were reported between January and June, more than double the suspected cases seen in the same period last year. Three quarters of cases were reported in children under 5 years.

“The CERF funding comes at a crucial time when thousands of children’s lives are at risk,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Philippe Lazzarini, who is responsible for pooled fund allocation at country level. “The vaccination drive will help prevent the spread of the disease to other locations, particularly those inaccessible to vaccination teams. A nationwide catch-up campaign will be conducted in the next six months as part of the overall measles control strategy.”…The CERF allocation will be complemented by $300,000 from the Somalia Common Humanitarian Fund.

The Central Emergency Response Fund is a global pooled humanitarian fund set up in 2005 to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to people affected by armed conflicts and natural disasters. It is funded by voluntary contributions from UN Member States, NGOs, local government, the private sector and individual donors, and is managed by UNOCHA. The Common Humanitarian Fund is country-based and managed by UNOCHA on behalf of the Humanitarian Coordinator.