UNITED NATIONS, June 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN's children agency reported Thursday that it spent over 500 million U.S. dollars to deliver emergency supplies to children in 2017, setting a record.
The highest expenditure came as famine, droughts, conflict and malnutrition threatened the survival of millions of children, especially in South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia and north-east Nigeria, the agency UNICEF said.
Besides nutrition-related supplies, UNICEF sent life-saving water and sanitation supplies, vaccines and pharmaceuticals, as well as education and clothing items to children and families caught in or displaced by conflict, natural disasters and other crises across 61 countries.
In total, UNICEF procured 3.46 billion dollars worth of supplies and services for children in 150 countries and regions last year.
In addition, UNICEF and its partners substantially reduced vaccine prices through efforts to influence markets in 2017. A full round of vaccines for a child under the age of one is available at under 18 dollars for low-income countries, down from the 2013 price of 24.46 dollars.
