The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has launched a 120-day emergency response to intensify relief efforts in Zimbabwe's educational and health sectors, local media said on Wednesday.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, UNICEF acting country representative Roeland Monasch said the emergency response would see the organization focusing on relief efforts in the provision of basic social services.
Under the 120-day plan, UNICEF said it would increase health outreach services, provide nutritional supplements, boost school attendance and scale up access to safe water.
UNICEF said it would further procure essential medicines for 70 percent of the country's population and support community-based therapeutic feeding centres by providing ready-to-use nutritional foods across the country.
The children-centred organization will also roll out a nationwide campaign on cholera prevention and reach out to at least 1.5 million children with immunization.
In collaboration with the government, the emergency plan will also provide incentives for teachers and nurses countrywide to enable them return to work.
"Women and children face immense risk in Zimbabwe. Schools and hospitals are closing, while teachers, nurses and doctors are not reporting for duty. It is UNICEF's top priority to ensure that Zimbabwe's children get vital life-saving interventions at this critical time," Monasch said.
He said high HIV prevalence rate (currently 16 per cent), food shortages with 5.1 million people in need of food by January, and a decline in social services had compounded the Zimbabwean situation for the past five years.
"Children in Zimbabwe are on the brink and everyone's focus must now be on their survival," said Monasch.
The net effect on Zimbabwean children has been no schooling, a serious threat to their life, lack of health care, safe water and reduced number of meals.
According to UNICEF, the country has so far recorded more than 11,735 cases of cholera and 484 deaths were reported.