Haiti Emergency Appeal
On 12 January 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haiti. As you’ll have seen in the media, the quake caused widespread destruction to a country already crippled by humanitarian crises.
Haiti was already a desperately poor country. Even prior to the earthquake, 78% of Haitians lived in poverty, with a quarter of children suffering from malnutrition. 54 of every 1,000 babies born in Haiti do not survive until their first birthday. The country is particularly vulnerable to the effects of natural disasters because of high population density and decaying infrastructure.
The recent earthquake, and numerous aftershocks, wiped out the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people, and crippled essential services and infrastructure. It is estimated that more than 3.5 million people have been affected.
UNICEF’s response
UNICEF has been active in Haiti since 1949, so was pre-positioned to begin providing immediate support. Within days, UNICEF had delivered tents, medical trauma kits, safe drinking water, high energy biscuits to combat malnutrition, and other emergency supplies. In the capital, Port-au-Prince, UNICEF continues to provide approximately 500,000 people with safe drinking water daily.
UNICEF was especially concerned for orphaned children, and children who were lost or became separated from their families. Safe spaces for children were quickly established, and the tracing and registration of unaccompanied children made a priority. UNICEF continues to work with the Haitian Government to protect children and prevent them from being taken out of the country illegally.
An urgent immunisation campaign for measles, diphtheria, tetanus, rubella and whooping cough, to protect 500,000 children under the age of seven, commenced on February 2. And supplementary feeding programs continue, in collaboration with World Food Program, to reach out to an estimated 300,000 children aged six to 36 months.
Our work ensures that children recovering from the effects of the disaster get the food, water, health care and protection they need.
It costs very little to help a lot.
• $250 can provide 172 packets of high energy biscuits specially formulated for malnourished children in emergency situations.
• $280 can provide life-saving therapeutic feeding for 65 severely malnourished children.
• $125 can provide enough vitamin A capsules to increase 58 children’s chances of survival.
Please give all you can to UNICEF’s Haiti Earthquake appeal and help make a difference.
UNICEF is not funded by the UN. We rely on voluntary contributions for our work with children.
Donate to UNICEF Australia’s Haiti Emergency Appeal by clicking on this link or call 1300 884 233.
For every dollar donated for the Haiti earthquake, through UNICEF Australia, a minimum of 90 cents will reach children affected.
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