The Ministry of Social Affairs, the United States, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today launched a $60 million program that will expand Tunisia’s national social safety net system to provide direct support for children and vulnerable families in Tunisia, announced a press release Thursday on the website of the American Embassy in Tunis.
Specifically, the grant is from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and will be directed to UNICEF for the benefit of vulnerable Tunisian families.
It is explained that the program will provide immediate assistance to children from vulnerable families, and this in a context where the world is facing economic and social challenges exacerbated by rising costs as a result of the crisis in Ukraine.
The funding will enable monthly cash transfers to vulnerable families with children aged 6 to 18, reaching 305,000 children, and will include a series of accompanying measures for quality social services.
The various parties concerned by this American aid have welcomed the program. Tunisia, through its Minister of Social Affairs, Malek Zahi, stressed that “this program strengthens existing social protection schemes under AMEN Social for children aged 6 to 18 from vulnerable households. and by doubling the support of the Tunisian Government for the start of the 2022-2023 school year for more than 420,000 children”.
For the Charge d’Affaires of the United States Embassy, Natasha Franceschi, the “USAID-led initiative demonstrates the commitment of the United States to the Tunisian people. Our support through UNICEF will help provide immediate relief to the most vulnerable Tunisians amid the wide range of economic shocks they face.
“We also remain committed to supporting Tunisian civil society and the private sector in their efforts to advance democracy and build a prosperous economic future for all Tunisians,” she added.
For her part, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator Megan Doherty, highlighting the impacts that Covid-19 and rising food and fuel prices can have on families differently, suggested that “through our partnership with UNICEF, we will ensure that this money reaches Tunisians directly so that they can make the right decisions for their families and for the future”.
“The United Nations supports Tunisia in the current difficult context marked by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the crisis in Ukraine. The program presented today confirms the Tunisian Government’s commitment to strengthening the national social protection floor, to continuing to invest in human capital and quality social services in a context of aggravated crises, and the principle of not letting nobody aside,” said United Nations Resident Coordinator Arnaud Peral.
Finally, the UNICEF Representative ad interim, Silvia Chiarucci, said that her institution “is honored to support the Tunisian government in its investments in human capital, especially children from vulnerable families”.
According to her, “monthly child allowances constitute a constituent element of universal social protection and the accompanying measures reinforce equity, inclusion and the quality of social services”.
Chiarucci “sincerely thanked the Tunisian government, the United States government and other partners in the social protection system for this partnership, which offers every child the opportunity to reach their full potential”.
By OMA Newsletter N° 897 of 14/10/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
