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Unicef warns of insecurity and insalubrity for hundreds of migrant minors in Ceuta

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Unicef warns of the unsafe and unsanitary conditions for hundreds of migrant minors in Ceuta following a mass border crossing.
  • Hundreds of unaccompanied children are wandering the streets, needing food and healthcare.
  • Spain's Interior Ministry has identified 2,168 minors, and authorities are working to transfer 500 to the mainland.

Unicef has raised alarms about the "insecurity and unsanitary conditions" faced by hundreds of migrant children in Ceuta since a massive influx on July 30. The organization highlighted that many children remain in the Spanish city, living in makeshift camps or wandering the streets, in urgent need of basic necessities.

insecurity and unsanitary conditions

— UnicefUnicef warned of the "insecurity and unsanitary conditions" faced by hundreds of migrant children in Ceuta.

Lara Contreras, Unicef Spain's Director of Influence, Programs, and Alliances, described the situation as "urgent." She stated that hundreds of unaccompanied children are in dire need of three meals a day and, in many cases, medical attention. The Spanish Interior Ministry has identified 2,168 minors in Ceuta, who are being placed under the care of the city's government to receive necessary assistance.

urgent

— Lara ContrerasLara Contreras, Director of Influence, Programs, and Alliances of Unicef Spain, described the situation as "urgent."

In response to the crisis, the Ministry of Youth and Childhood is urgently working to transfer 500 migrant girls from Ceuta to the mainland as part of a comprehensive plan to alleviate the strain on the city's support services. Unicef has deployed a team to Ceuta to help establish a Multidisciplinary Unit for the Care of Migrant Children in Emergencies (Umaime), a proposal by the UN agency that will be implemented by the Ministry of Youth and Childhood.

hundreds of them wander alone through the streets, in unsanitary conditions and in urgent need of three meals a day and, in many cases, health care

— Lara ContrerasLara Contreras stated that "hundreds of them wander alone through the streets, in unsanitary conditions and in urgent need of three meals a day and, in many cases, health care."

Contreras believes at least three mobile Umaime units are needed in Ceuta to expedite the identification of unaccompanied minors. She also stressed the urgent need for new centers, as some children have been sleeping on the streets for 20 days, exposing them to numerous risks. Unicef emphasizes that after identification, each child's situation and vulnerabilities must be assessed individually to ensure their protection and the fulfillment of their rights.

We calculate that at this moment in Ceuta at least three mobile units of the Umaime would be needed, which would speed up the identification of minors who are alone in the city

— Lara ContrerasThe Unicef representative also noted that "at least three mobile units of the Umaime would be needed" to expedite identifications.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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