The Representative of United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) to the Republic of the Maldives, Ms Marjan Montazemi, has paid a courtesy call on First Lady Fazna Ahmed. The call was held at the Official Residence of the President, Muleeaage, this morning.

First Lady Fazna Ahmed congratulated Ms Montazemi on her appointment as the UNICEF Representative to the Maldives, and warmly welcomed her to the Maldives. The First Lady and UNICEF Representative discussed several pertinent topics such as child safety and security, education and the lasting effects of Covid-19 on the younger generations.

Ms Montazemi shared her vision for creating nationwide programmes aimed children in need through complete and practical support systems. The First Lady concurred and stated that she would continue to provide her unwavering support and assistance to the programmes conducted by UNICEF to improve the lives of children.

The First Lady also underscored the current situation with regards to Covid-19 in the Maldives. She stated that some children have been reported to display uneasiness and anxiety at the idea of being outside or going back to school following the extended lockdown period and social distancing measures put in place. She stressed that finding workarounds for the obstructions would be imperative, affirming that the most important undertaking would be for children to be able to return to school without any obstructions or apprehension.

The First Lady extended her gratitude to Ms Montazemi for UNICEF's continous efforts to improve the lives of all Maldivian children, especially the programmes conducted for the betterment of younger children and children under the care of the state.