PHA-Exchange> Situation in Southern Africa

[Aviva]

Second Regular Session of UNICEF's Executive Board
16 - 20 September 2002

ESARO Regional Director's Presentation

Mr. Urban Jonsson

Mr. President

1. Eastern and Southern Africa continues to be plagued by deepening poverty,
continued armed conflicts and an increasingly devastating HIV/AIDS
catastrophe.  Given current trends the Millennium Development Goals will not
be achieved in the region, or in sub-Saharan Africa as a whole.  And that
means that these goals, endorsed by so many conferences, will not be
achieved globally.  In addition to all this, Southern Africa is experiencing
a terrible crisis, manifested by extreme food shortages.  It is important to
understand that these different crises are interconnected and constantly
reinforcing each other.  I will come back to that later.

2. This year only two of the smaller countries in the region have submitted
new Country Programmes of Cooperation  - Botswana and Comoros.  Apart from
both having a relatively small population they are very different. Botswana
is one of the least poor countries in the region with a GNP of US$3,300 per
capita, very high primary school enrolment rates and almost universal access
to basic health services.  It has also had remarkable political stability
since independence.  Comoros, on the other hand is one of the poorest
countries in the region with a GNP per capita of only US$380, very low
primary school enrollment rates and low access to basic health services.
The country has faced chronic political instability with more than twenty
coups or attempted coups during the last 25 years.  There is, however
another significant and rather surprising difference.  Botswana has the
highest rate of HIV infections in the world - 38.8% of the adult population
is infected, while Comoros has one of the lowest rate of HIV infections in
the region - about 0.1%.  The fact that the highest HIV prevalence occurs in
one of Africa's wealthiest countries, rather than among the poorest raises
questions, suggesting causes of HIV infections other than just poor access
to services.

3. The new five-year UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation in Botswana is
the first Programme which is almost totally focused on HIV/AIDS.  It is the
first Country in Africa where a PMTCT Programme is being implemented on a
national scale.  The orphan care and support project aims directly at
improving the lives of orphans and other vulnerable children, while the
integrated ECD project and the girls' education project indirectly aim at
preventing the spread of HIV.  The Programme contributes directly to the
UNDAF priorities on HIV/AIDS and poverty reduction and is well integrated
with the National HIV/AIDS programme.

4. The new five-year UNICEF Country Programme of Cooperation in the Union of
Comoros addresses all five UNICEF MTSP priorities. The education programme
will focus on early childhood development and primary education,
particularly for girls.  The health and nutrition programmes will address
child and maternal mortality, nutrition and the control of STD/AIDS.  The
child protection programme aims at harmonizing national laws with the CRC
for ensuring better protection of children.  In both Botswana and Comoros
the overarching strategy is community capacity development in  a human
rights framework.

5. Mr. President,

Already in April this year the signs of an impending food crisis were
obvious in several countries in Southern Africa - Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe were at particular high risks.  A
joint UN Consolidated Appeal (CAP) for the six countries was launched in
July.  At present only US$38 million have been committed by donors of a
total request of US$611 million.

6. The Southern Africa Crisis has been described as primarily a food crisis.
It is, however, very important to recognize that the critical shortage of
food is only the most visible manifestation of a much larger and deeper
crisis.  In reality, it is the first significant manifestation of increased
vulnerabilities created by the HIV/AIDS catastrophe in Southern Africa.  The
required response must therefore combine short-term measures of food
distribution with health, nutrition, education, WES and protection
interventions to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS.  These are not just
'non-food items'; they are crucial and necessary for reducing the
vulnerability to shocks like drought and flooding.  Or in other words, these
interventions if implemented rapidly and effectively will ensure the
survival of millions of children.

7. UNICEF response was rapid and well coordinated with the WFP and
government actions. This was possible for two reasons.  First, UNICEF was
already on the ground before the crisis came, with support to programmes in
health, nutrition, education, water and sanitation and protection.  Second,
as a result of the last two years support form DFID, the region has
significantly strengthened its emergency preparedness and response capacity.
In five of the six countries contingency plans had been prepared during the
last 12 months.

8. In keeping with UNICEF's core commitments during emergencies, all six
country offices have conducted rapid assessments of the situation of
children and women.  UNICEF is supporting therapeutic and supplementary
feeding, training of health workers, immunization campaigns, in particular
against measles, vitamin A supplementation, teaching materials, sanitation
and hygiene. All planning and implementation is done in cooperation with the
WFP and other partners.

9. In line with the Policy Statement of the IASC Task Force on the
Prevention of Sexual Abuse and Exploitation in Humanitarian Crisis, UNICEF
has organized training of trainers in all six countries to support efforts
to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse of children and women.  UNICEF
promotes strongly a zero tolerance policy.


Mr. President,

10. In the GA debate yesterday all seem to agree that the New Partnership
for Africa's Development (NEPAD) provides new hope for Africa.   After its
endorsement by the OAU Summit in Durban in July 2002 it has become the
overarching framework for Africa's future development.  But, as we heard,
the challenges are formidable.  Sub-Saharan Africa with 12 per cent of the
world population and only 1 per cent of the world's economy, accounts for 43
per cent of the world's child deaths, 50 per cent of maternal deaths, 70 per
cent of people with HIV/AIDS and 90 per cent of all children orphaned by
AIDS.  I did not hear this reality in yesterday's debate.  As a matter of
fact, leaders from some of the most affected African countries did not even
mention HIV/AIDS in their brief presentations.

11. At the OAU summit in July 2001 in Lusaka an Africa Common Position (ACP)
was adopted. The ACP includes specific goals, targets and strategies aimed
at creating an 'Africa Fit for Children'.  NEPAD is mainly concerned with
long-term development.  UNICEF believes that NEPAD should include some
actions to improve the situation for children and women in the short-term.
As the Secretary General stated yesterday, the most urgent actions are to
ensure girls' education and to intensify and focus the war against HIV/AIDS.
It is very clear that Africa has no future unless this war is won.

12. One of the most serious and tragic effects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic is
the large number of children orphaned by AIDS - 11 million in Africa; 90% of
the world's total.  The African extended family can not extend any more,
cannot cope any longer.  Masses of orphans are forced to become street
children, beggars and thieves and are often targets for abuse and
exploitation.  And even  if new HIV infections would stop today, millions of
new orphans would be added over the next ten years.  This is a very, very
serious problem that needs to be attacked immediately.

13. Last week I attended a consultation called by Nelson Mandela and Graça
Machel to discuss and agree on necessary actions to deal with the orphan
crisis in the next 24 months. One recommendation was to request all
Parliamentarians in Africa to hold formal debates on the situation of
orphans. I hope that these debates will take place and that they will be
guided by Mandela's statement at the meeting.  'Every moment that is spent
on deliberations that does not lead to decisive action is a moment
tragically wasted.'

Mr. President

14. The Black Death in 14th century Europe killed about one third of the
population and changed Europe dramatically.  In the same way, the HIV/AIDS
pandemic will transform Africa as we know it.  We know the expected impact
on GNP from the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For example, by 2010 the South African
economy will be 20 per cent smaller than it would have been without
HIV/AIDS; a total loss of about US$17 billions.  We know that the private
sector will be affected, both through reduced production and a switch in
foreign direct investment to less affected countries.  We know that the
HIV/AIDS pandemic will reduce the number of teachers and health workers,
both by death and by immigration.  And we know that the number of orphans
will double.  What we don't know is the future impact of HIV/AIDS on
governance, peace and security.  Uncontrolled, the HIV/AIDS pandemic may
make countries helplessly unprepared to cope with drought and floods and may
ultimately break down societies as we know them to-day.  This is what some
observers call 'Aids-related national crises'.  What we witness in Southern
Africa to-day is the result of such 'Aids-related national crises'.  This
will threaten the peace and security in Africa and the whole world.