Muscat – Adele Khodr, Unicef Regional Director for Middle East and North Africa, concluded her first visit to the sultanate on Tuesday. During her three-day visit, she met senior Omani officials, leaders from the private sector and civil society organisations, as well as members of the diplomatic community and other UN agencies.

In Oman, much of Unicef’s work focuses on supporting the country in areas of policymaking, capacity development and systems strengthening to improve the delivery of health, education and protection services for children.

A key milestone this year was Unicef’s support to the government in introducing a new, comprehensive national social protection system that will contribute to the well-being of children and other vulnerable members of the population over the course of their life.

Unicef is one of the leading agencies globally that offers social protection strategies to ensure a fair and equitable access to services for children and women.

As part of her mission in Oman, the Unicef Regional Director for MENA met the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Health, Education, Social Development, and other key counterparts to discuss the situation of children in Oman and exchange common agendas.

“I am impressed by the level of commitment and collective efforts by Oman to drive and excel results for children,” she said. “I look forward to Oman sharing its experiences during its tenure at Unicef’s Executive Board from 2024-26.”

Her visit included a trip to a primary school where she met girls and boys from different grades and engaged with the children in their own learning environment after being welcomed with a performance by the schools’ scouts.