UPS helps UNICEF deliver lifesaving supplies to Kyrgyzstan
Jennifer Fenley Duffy, UNICEF USA
© UNICEF/Odashima
Loading critical supplies onto trucks for delivery to the UNICEF Warehouse in Osh, Kyrgyzstan.
NEW YORK (August 27, 2010) — In the wake of crisis that swept through Kyrgyzstan in June, UNICEF has been working with local communities and the Kygryz and Uzbek governments to ensure that children's needs are addressed.
These efforts received a tremendous boost from U.S. Fund for UNICEF partner UPS, which supported the charter of a flight to deliver lifesaving supplies for children and families.
The flight landed in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on July 11 carrying humanitarian supplies, including:
- 14 diarrheal disease kits;
- 600 boxes of Ampicillin vials;
- 1,600 packs of micronutrient tablets;
- 43,200 packs of micronutrient powder;
- 12 obstetric surgical kits;
- 100 Early Childhood Development (ECD) kits;
- 600 bags of UNIMIX;
- 20 42 sqm tents; and
- IT/communication equipment.
The flight was off-loaded at Manas International Airport in Bishkek, where supplies were loaded onto trucks for delivery to the UNICEF Warehouse in Osh, approximately 12 hours south of Bishkek.
© UNICEF/Odashima
The road to Bishkek to Jalal-Abad. Supplies were also distributed in Jalal-Abad, another city affected by the conflict.
Much needed supplies
Osh is where the destruction of homes and public buildings was most serious, and although 400,000 refugees who had fled to neighboring Uzbekistan have now returned to Kyrgyzstan, many people are still living with relatives and neighbors as their homes have been badly destroyed.
The health items were delivered to local hospitals and health clinics both in Osh and Jalal-Abad (another city damaged by the recent conflict) to treat patients. Due to a lack of safe drinking water, many cases of diarrhea have been reported, making diarrheal kits a timely necessity. A child nutrition campaign is distributing micronutrient powders and tablets. The use of tents and Early Childhood Development (ECD) kits create Child Friendly Spaces (20 in Osh and 10 in Jalal-Abad), where UNICEF is responsible for child protection activities. In a situation where many schools and public spaces have been destroyed, it is critical that safe spaces are set up for children where they can play.
Through UPS' global humanitarian relief program, UPS and the UPS Foundation support UNICEF's systems around rapid response and supply provision to aide the most vulnerable populations of children in emergencies. For over 10 years, UPS has partnered with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, providing grant funding to a range of UNICEF programs, and more recently, in-kind shipping, freight and expertise.
