(United Nations) – United States singer and songwriter Katy Perry has teamed up with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to bring attention to the situation of children in Madagascar, one of the poorest countries in the world. “In less than one week here in Madagascar, I went from crowded city slums to the most remote villages and my eyes were opened wide by the incredible need for a healthy life – nutrition, sanitation, and protection against rape and abuse – which UNICEF is stepping in to help provide. I am grateful to UNICEF for giving me the opportunity to see first-hand how its programmes make a real difference in children’s lives. Support for UNICEF is saving children. I am a witness to it”, Perry said.
Madagascar is still recovering from a political crisis that began in 2009, after which most international donors froze development aid to the country, forcing the Government to make drastic cuts in public spending. The cuts affected basic services such as health care and primary education. This is Perry’s first visit in support of UNICEF, and during her time in Madagascar she saw a full range of the agency’s programmes, from education and nutrition to sanitation and hygiene.
