LONDON, January 16 /PRNewswire/ -- UNICEF joined the United Nations appeal for US$562 million (GBP346 million) for humanitarian operation in Haiti. The appeal seeks to provide resources to help 3.5 million people for the next 6 months. Key among the urgent needs are life-saving supplies of food, water, medicines and shelter. Give that nearly 50% of Haiti's population is under the age of 18, UNICEF has a particularly critical role to play and is seeking approximately $120 million (GBP74 million) for its work as part of the humanitarian relief efforts.
Efforts are also underway to unload and deliver UNICEF emergency supplies and equipment that arrived in Port-au-Prince by plane on Friday. This first UNICEF shipment included water tanks, water purification tablets and rehydration salts. Clean water and sanitation are amongst the most important emergency relief needs following most emergencies, in particular to protect against the serious health risks posed by diarrheal infections and diseases.
Two more planes loaded with relief are planned for the weekend, carrying some 70 metric tons of tents, tarpaulin, and medicine.
Many of Haiti's public buildings and utilities have been destroyed. There is severe damage to hospitals, schools and the city's two seaports. This infrastructure damage has resulted in large scale displacement of people from their homes, into makeshift and overcrowded shelters.
As communications systems and infrastructure damaged by the earthquake that hit near Port au Prince on 12 January are slowly being repaired, precise information about the damage is still not available. According to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) some 3.5 million people are estimated to be in the areas affected by the earthquake and its aftershocks. Thousands are feared dead, many more injured and unknown numbers still buried under the rubble.
UNICEF efforts to assist with life-saving and recovery operations in Haiti will focus on clean water and sanitation, therapeutic food for infants and small children, medical supplies and temporary shelter.
About UNICEF
UNICEF is the world's leading organisation working for children and their rights in more than 190 countries. As champion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works to help every child realise their full potential. Together with our partners, UNICEF delivers health care, nutrition, education and protection to children in urgent need, while working with governments to ensure they deliver on their promise to protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations from individuals, governments, institutions and corporations, and is not funded by the UN budget. For more information, please visit http://www.unicef.org.uk.
For more information, please contact:
Christopher de Bono, UNICEF Media, New York, Tel +1-212-303-7984, E-mail: cdebono@unicef.org Patrick McCormick, UNICEF Media, New York, Tel +1-212-326-7426, E-mail: pmccormick@unicef.org
SOURCE: Unicef UK
CONTACT: For more information, please contact: Christopher de Bono, UNICEFMedia, New York, Tel +1-212-303-7984, E-mail: cdebono@unicef.org ; PatrickMcCormick, UNICEF Media, New York, Tel +1-212-326-7426, E-mail:pmccormick@unicef.org
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