Kathmandu February 4

UNICEF Germany patron Elke Budenbender, who is currently on a visit to Nepal, has apprised herself of the status of children here and of the steps taken by UNICEF for the long-term solution to the challenges facing Nepal’s children. She arrived here on Monday and will wrap up her visit on February 7. In this connection, she met with children at some schools, youth clubs and communities in Lalitpur and acquired information on the ways of facing the challenges that come up in their day-to-day life, UNICEF Nepal’s communications officer Sharmina Manandhar said. Manandhar said during her visit the UNICEF Germany patron will also familiarize herself about the efforts made by the communities to build their resilience for reducing the impact of natural disaster. Elke Budenbender is the spouse of the President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. According to UNICEF Nepal, Budenbender has also acquired information on many structural challenges related to access to health services and education, the high vulnerability to poverty and natural disaster as well as on the status of children’s rights in Nepal and its march towards the sustainable development goals (SDGs). UNICEF Nepal has stated that although Nepal has made a significant progress in the national report regarding achieving the SDGs, many children and adolescents are still out of reach of potable water, health service, nutritious food and school. Around 770,000 children of five years to 12 years age are out of school and deprived of basic education. Two out of five women are married off before 18 years of age. Thirty six per cent of children below five years are under the poverty line, UNICEF Nepal said. UNICEF has been implementing various programmes targeting all children in Nepal, especially those from the marginalised and poor communities, for more than five decades.