Children’s needs central to response as Gambia uncertainty continues

(UNICEF) – As the Gambia faces an uncertain political transition, the situation raises concerns for the nearly 26,000 people – half of them children – who have left the country to neighbouring Senegal. The threat of unrest has also left thousands of children in the Gambia without access to education following the closure of schools in parts of the country. “The world’s attention has focused on politics, but thousands of children and their families are caught up in this volatile and disruptive situation,” said Marie-Pierre Poirier, UNICEF’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “Our teams in Senegal and the Gambia are on standby to ensure that children’s needs are at the centre of any response as the situation evolves.”

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