UNICEF reports 1 million children in immediate danger in aftermath of Myanmar cyclone
Situation dire for children; teams reach remote areas
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NEW YORK (May 16, 2008)—UNICEF missions throughout the flooded regions of Myanmar report that the destruction of homes, schools and water and sanitation systems are is now affecting the lives and well-being of 1 million children.
"Myanmar's children have faced enough hardship for a lifetime. It is up to us to help restore the sense of childhood that all children deserve," said Caryl Stern, president and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "We are getting children the aid that they need so that they can regain a sense of normalcy, routine and hope."
In the 14th day after the cyclone struck, UNICEF warns that children who survived the cyclone are now at increasing risk of disease and of the consequences of not receiving timely assistance. Thousands of children are in temporary shelters under frequent rainstorms, particularly in the Yangon region.
More than 70 UNICEF assessment and relief missions are in the regions, distributing essential survival kits, including plastic sheeting for shelter, water purification materials, medicines and mosquito nets, and cooking materials.
Current United Nations estimates put the total number of severely affected people at up to 2.5 million. UNICEF teams report that in the areas they have visited some 40 percent of those severely affected are children. If the patterns UNICEF staff are seeing in the devastated areas are representative, there may be as many as one million children in need of urgent assistance.
A flight due to land tomorrow—UNICEF’s fourth—will carry several tons of therapeutic food for malnourished children. Thirty-four trucks, small enough to travel safely over the damaged roads and bridges, have been dispatched throughout the Yangon and Irawaddy districts.
UNICEF has also arranged radio broadcasts to help reunite separated children with their parents or close family members. Child-friendly spaces have been set up in several locations, where children can receive education, psychosocial support and health/nutrition services.
UNICEF is working in close collaboration with the Myanmar Red Cross and other partners.
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
For more information, please contact:
Lisa Szarkowski, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 212.922.2643, lszarkowski@unicefusa.org
Richard Alleyne, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 212.880.9177 or 917.509.7742, ralleyne@unicefusa.org
