Emergency Healthcare and Supplies Appeal

every year nearly 10 million children die from preventable causes

During emergencies, children are especially vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and violence.

The impact of emergencies on children can be devastating, leading to:

• Lack of access to food, shelter and healthcare
• Displacement and separation from parents
• Loss of education and social support
• Abuse, abduction and exploitation
• Disease and death - measles, diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections, malaria and malnutrition - all major killers of children during humanitarian crises.

The press release opposite summarises the scale of emergencies currently affecting children in 39 countries around the world, and below are some recent examples of emergencies where children require urgent assistance, and UNICEF has responded:

Natural Disasters

November 2008, Pakistan – The death toll from the 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck the south-western province of Balochistan, Pakistan, on 29 October, left between 10,000 and 15,000 people homeless. Around 108,000 people were affected by the quake, 50 per cent of them children, and some 19,000 under five years of age. UNICEF was able to set up temporary accommodation centres to house thousands of adults and children in affected areas.

May 2008, Myanmar – Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Delta in May 2008. As it stands in January 2009, relief efforts are on track but we still need your support to bring long-term solutions to children and their families. About 140,000 people perished as a result of the devastating cyclone and subsequent flooding, which destroyed schools and health centres, contaminated water supplies and left hundreds of young children separated from their parents. UNICEF has helped by providing pumps to help drain and clean ponds and wells that are the only sources of water for many villages in Irrawaddy. We’re now focusing on reconstructing schools and health centres, as well as rehabilitating water supply systems.

War and Conflict

Whether in the media spotlight or not, throughout the world there are numerous conflicts that take their toll on children's lives.

January 2009, Gaza – The number of children killed and injured continues to rise in the conflict in Gaza. Between the beginning of the crisis on 27 December and January 14, over 300 children had been killed and more than 1,500 wounded. UNICEF has so far delivered 355 first aid kits (to help over 3,500 people) and 20 resuscitation kits (each kit can help up to 15 people) to hospitals. We have also pre-positioned more emergency relief supplies at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warehouses.

January, 2009, Zimbabwe –This African nation is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis that has seen the collapse of the health and education sectors in the country as a result of internal conflict and soaring inflation. The country is also facing an unprecedented cholera outbreak that has claimed over 4,000 lives. UNICEF has responded with urgent assistance by supplying safe water and water-purification tablets to affected communities and supporting cholera treatment centres. UNICEF is working to ensure minimal loss of life to a waterborne disease that is not only preventable, but curable.

December 2008, Democratic Republic of Congo – The escalation of conflict and upheaval of people from their homes and shelters have led to further violations of children's and women’s rights in eastern DRC. Since fighting intensified in North Kivu in August 2008, humanitarian access has been limited and sporadic. Continuous fleeing is increasing children’s vulnerability to a multitude of child protection problems, including separation from families, recruitment into armed groups, sexual violence and exploitation, forced labour and abuse, and interruption of schooling.

November 2008, Darfur – The UN estimates that between 200,000 and 300,000 people have died in Darfur since the start of the current conflict in 2004. Half of those affected by the conflict are children; of these, nearly 700,000 (the under-five population) have grown up knowing nothing but the conflict. UNICEF works in all three states of Darfur, providing both humanitarian services for women and children affected by the conflict and supporting community development in areas where security conditions permit.

During emergencies, we receive situation reports (SITREPs) on a daily, and sometimes even an hourly basis, relaying the latest information and needs. To read an example of a typical SITREP outlining the situations in Chad and Eastern Africa click the link on the right.

More information, including what can be achieved through the provision of emergency healthcare and supplies, can be found by clicking the 'Fact sheets' link, also on the right.

Please call 1300 884 233 or click here to make a donation to help UNICEF provide fast emergency aid.

UNICEF "School-in-a-Box" kits

The UNICEF "School-in-a-Box" kit contains supplies and materials for a teacher and up to 80 students. It includes basic school supplies, such as exercise books, pencils, erasers and scissors. The kit is supplied in a locked aluminium box and the lid can double as a blackboard.

The kit has been successfully used in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and in emergency situations in Darfur, Sudan and Myanmar.

To donate a UNICEF "School-in-a-Box" kit please click here.

UNICEF "Sport-in-a-Box" kits

Sport and play are effective forms of trauma therapy for children displaced by wars and natural disasters. UNICEF has developed "Sport-in-a-Box" kits to enable children to play - even in emergency situations.

One kit is suitable for up to 40 children, who can participate in team sports and games under the guidance of a teacher. It includes balls for several types of games, coloured tunics for different teams, chalk and a measuring tape for marking play areas, as well as a whistle and scoring slate.

To donate a UNICEF "Sport-in-a-Box" kit please click here.

UNICEF GLOBAL PARENT PROGRAM

UNICEF has an ongoing monthly donation program called UNICEF Global Parent. It enables people to donate a regular monthly amount to help UNICEF protect children from war, hunger, disease and exploitation in over 150 countries and territories. The money raised is used wherever the need is greatest.

If you would like to donate this way, please click here or call us on 1300 134 071.