UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) offices in Libya signed a Memorandum of Understanding Friday to build on the comparative advantages of the two agencies for delivering assistance to vulnerable children in Libya, including refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, conflict affected and host communities.
Through this partnership, UNICEF and UNHCR will strive to make visible improvements in the lives of children and young people in Libya in the area of education, protection, water, sanitation and hygiene, and health.
The Humanitarian Needs overview completed in 2016 highlights constrains that some 300,000 migrants and refugees, including 45,000 children, are facing in Libya. Some of these include accessing basic services due to discrimination, lack of economic means or threat to physical and legal safety. The children held in the detention centres continue to pose a serious concern for both UN agencies.
“This agreement is a reflection of our strong cooperation with UNICEF. We will continue to work hard to help displaced Libyan children and refugee children in Libya, and ensure they receive adequate protection and assistance, including access to education, and protection from abuse and exploitation” said Roberto Mignone, UNHCR Representative in Libya.
“This MoU is an excellent example of how two UN agencies build on their mandates and comparative advantages to “Deliver as One” for the most vulnerable children. Through this collaboration, UNICEF Libya has high hopes for improved coordination and service delivery,” said Abdel-Rahman Ghandour, UNICEF Special Representative in Libya.
Source: UNHCR
