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United Nations Response to COVID-19 Outbreak in Lebanon

Thursday 9 April 2020 United Nations In recent weeks Lebanon had to adapt to new restrictions imposed by the government in an effort to curtail the outbreak of COVID19 pandemic in Lebanon United Nations UN agencies in Lebanon are fully engaged in assisting Lebanon in responding to the unfolding health crisis Joining hands with local partners including governmental entities and civil society the UN is working on preventing and containing the transmission of the virus and avoiding an overstretching of the health system as well as responding to rising socioeconomic challenges generated by the economic and financial crisis now exacerbated by the health emergency

COVID-19 educational disruption and response: Continuation of radio education for secondary level students in Nepal

The global COVID19 pandemic has led to the closure of educational institutions worldwide affecting over 90 of students In Nepal as well this pandemic has led to the closure of all educational institutions for an indefinite period To ensure access to quality education for all UNESCO and the Ministry of Education Science and Technology are collaborating with ACORAB Nepal to continue a radio education programme for secondary level students With the objective of leaving no one behind this programme aims to reach out to students in rural areas throughout Nepal who do not have access to the internet and television The programme using materials developed by the Ministry of Education Science and Technology and the Centre for Education and Human Resource Development is being aired through seventy community radio stations The global COVID19 pandemic has hampered students learning To minimize the impact on the continuity of learning for students the Ministry of Education Science and Technology has launched the campaign to adopt distance learning mode through radio lessons in FM radio stations stated Giriraj Mani Pokharel Honorable Minister of Education Science and Technology during the launching of the programme In Nepal the impact is deeply felt by children and students especially in rural and remote areas without access to online learning This could widen the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged children said Christian Manhart UNESCO Representative to Nepal He stressed We cannot let this happen I hope the children will benefit from this program especially students in remote areas UNESCO will be collecting feedback from both students and parents in order to make the programme more effective and find out how much the students are benefitting from it UNESCO is hopeful that these radio programmes will have a positive impact on the learning outcomes of students across the country

COVID-19 Educational Disruption and Response: Radio Paathshala for students in Nepal’s Bagmati province

The global COVID19 pandemic has led to unprecedented levels of disruption to education impacting over 90 of the worlds student population 154 billion children including 743 million girls In Nepal all educational institutions have also been closed for a long time due to the COVID19 pandemic To ensure access to education for secondary level students through distance learning UNESCO in collaboration with the Education Development Directorate Bagmati province and Prime FM radio started a radio education programme in midMay called Radio Paathshala The radio program covers thirteen districts of the Bagmati province Teachers have been providing live broadcast services to support students when they face problems in learning their lessons In view of the growing number of social media users the lessons are also being recorded and shared on Prime FMs Facebook page where they are easily accessible to students UNESCO is always committed to ensuring quality education for all and this is one of our efforts to come up with the best options for the continuation of learning for students in this crisis period with the whole country in a lockdown situation said Balaram Timalsina Chief of the Education Unit in Kathmandus UNESCO Office UNESCO is supporting countries in their efforts to mitigate the immediate impact of school closures particularly for more vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and to facilitate the continuity of education for all through remote learning

COVID-19 Response: Learning moves from the classroom to radio in Nepal

August 17, 2020

COVID-19 and youth: a virtual South Asian Youth Summit organized in Nepal

The unprecedented global COVID19 pandemic has impacted youth tremendously They are amongst the most vulnerable to its effects with many at risk of being left behind at this crucial stage of their life development On 5 September Youth Advocacy Nepal in partnership with UNESCO UNV and ActionAid Nepal organized a South Asian Youth Summit on the impact of COVID19 on youth Young speakers from seven South Asian countries Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Pakistan and Sri Lanka shared about the impact this pandemic has had on youth the issues they are facing and their perspectives About 200 young people from South Asian countries attended the summit Shalina Miah Regional Manager of Asia Pacific UNV in her keynote speech pointed out how the pandemic has undermined the progress in sustainable development goals In South Asia all countries are affected by the pandemic some more than the others Youth are among the most severely affected by this crisis she said She urged youth organizations and community groups along with the governments to play a crucial role to provide the required support Volunteering is critical to empower youth by creating opportunities she added Youth are experiencing a lot of stress not just because their education and careers are disrupted but also because there is a feeling of helplessness as they are not able to reach out as before The young speakers shared how this pandemic has impacted youth in their respective countries as well as positive stories of youth engagement and the ways they have addressed these issues Young people have used this period to work on their creativity and skills creating more opportunities for networking particularly online which has become a crucial platform for gaining emotional and mental support as well as fundraising and charity During the lockdown genderbased violence and sexual abuse are also occurring and those with disabilities and young queer people are prone to exploitation In many countries homosexuality is criminalized and most individuals belonging to the LGBTIQ community thus sense the loss of security and support They are out of work out of touch with their friends and unable to access medication The summit screened a motivational video of a visually impaired youth Shristi KC founder of Blink Rocks In the video she shared her adventures advocacy and stigmas around disability and how challenges can be overcome She emphasised the need for a new normal postCOVID one that accepts differences and celebrates diversity Youth are at the end phase of their education and the starting phase of their careers but for their smooth transition towards informed adulthood they need to be skilled and capacitated said Balaram Timalsina Chief of Education Unit in UNESCO Kathmandu Office and Special Guest of the event He urged all to ensure youths participation in the overall sphere saying that no country can be democratic without the involvement of its youth No one shall be left behind we must reach out to the most marginalized disabled and those in geographically remote locations and be inclusive UNESCO always supports youth Chief Guest Madhav Dhungel Vice President of National Youth Council Nepal said that COVID19 has added challenges in all spheres of life but this can still be seen as an opportunity In regards to the development of youth leadership South Asian countries can learn from each other and refer to good practices he stressed The National Youth Council Nepal believes in a partnership culture and looks forward to networking and collective efforts to form inclusive governments that can empower youth A global crisis requires global action he concluded

September 6, 2020

Global Goals Week Celebrated in Nepal with Youth

September 29, 2020

Developing teachers’ skills in alternative teaching methods in Nepal

November 2, 2020