UNICEF Signs MOU for Women & Children

This morning, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change, and Disaster Risk Management and UNICEF signed an agreement to protect vulnerable Belizeans, including children and mothers. At the signing in Belmopan, Alison Parker, UNICEF Belize’s Country Representative, said, “The Children’s Climate Risk Index reports that approximately 1 billion children, half of all the children in the world, live in countries like Belize that are classified as ‘extremely high-risk’. We’ve lived this reality, as over the past 3 years, Belize has endured an increase in extreme rainfalls, flash floods, and hurricanes threatening its economy, people, and assets. Whether we recognize it or not – climate change is impacting children! I recognize this MOU as an important partnership to amplify our efforts ensuring they are strategic, collaborative and takes to scale important programmes and interventions to mitigate the climate crisis for children and advance the SDGs”. The Memorandum of Understanding is the first of its kind. The agreement is designed to provide the ministry with the necessary support to adopt a comprehensive and child-focused approach to increase climate resilience, reduce disaster risks, protect the environment, and achieve sustainable development.