Low budget in social sectors: UNICEF blames the Government

UNICEF has made a remark on the decline in the state budget for the social sector. It explained that the funds from the organization are only a support. UNICEF warns the government about the decrease of the state’s investment budget in social works.

Yesterday, the new Resident Representative of UNICEF in Madagascar, Steven Lauwerier, implied, during the presentation of his credentials at the Foreign Ministry headquarters at Anosy, the need for more state involvement in the social investment. “The government’s budget allocation is the most important. UNICEF is only there to help and to complete. Unfortunately this year, the government budget for the social sectors has declined,” said Steven Lauwerier, adding that UNICEF has a 30 million dollar-budget for its annual projects, but it also has to manage international funding partnerships.

A statement of the United Nations Fund for Children states that “the impact of the political crisis (…) undermines the progress made in health, education, drinking water and sanitation”. Indeed, one million children still do not attend school, one out of two is affected by chronic malnutrition, one out of ten households uses latrines in rural areas and a family out of three can have access to drinking water.

In addition to all these is the large number of young victims of all types of human exploitation. In 2011, a source within the immunization service revealed that “UNICEF has provided the majority share for the purchase of vaccine, against only 6% from the government.”  Nevertheless, “We will continue our efforts and commitments to children’s development in Madagascar. Many challenges still await us”, concluded Steven Lauwerier.