(ANSAmed) - ROMA, 14 MAR - According to the organization's
Europe and Central Asia annual report
UNICEF provided direct assistance to over 30,000 refugee and
migrant minors in Italy in 2024, according to the annual report
released on March 12 by the organization's Europe and Central
Asia office.
Aid for vulnerable children on the central Mediterranean route
In 2024, approximately 66,000 refugees and migrants arrived in
Italy via the Central Mediterranean route. UNICEF estimates that
two in ten were minors, including around 8,000 unaccompanied
children (Msna).
The Central Mediterranean remains one of the most dangerous
migration routes, with approximately 1,700 people reported dead
or missing last year—many of them minors.
According to the report, UNICEF provided protection services to
24,000 children, including mental health support and
gender-based violence prevention programs. Additionally, 900
adolescents were placed in foster care or supported by mentors,
while 7,000 disadvantaged minors—including migrants and
refugees—benefited from language, digital, and life skills
programs.
The role of digital platforms in outreach
UNICEF also expanded its reach through digital platforms:
- 5,000 unaccompanied minors and young migrants joined the
U-Report On The Move platform, contributing to a total of 18,000
active users.
- 700,000 people received messages about prevention and access
to essential services.
"UNICEF, alongside its partners, continues to demonstrate that
ensuring protection, support, and opportunities for the most
vulnerable minors is not only necessary but possible," said
Nicola Dell'Arciprete, coordinator of UNICEF's Italy program.
"It is essential to transform these experiences into concrete
models, expanding their application to build a more effective
and sustainable reception and inclusion system."
(Picture shows the cover of the 2024 annual report from UNICEF's
Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Italy.
PHOTO/UNICEF/ANICITO/2024) (ANSAmed).
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