UNICEF responding to children's needs in storm-struck Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (November 8, 2010)—UNICEF teams are in the field and in Port-au-Prince conducting assessments and preparing to deploy supplies and human resources in addition to those already prepositioned to respond to emergency needs in hardest-hit areas following the passage of Hurricane Tomas.
"Our immediate goal is to assess the impacts of the storm and prioritize our response and coordination efforts to ensure access to adequate sanitation, safe water, and basic health care," said Ms. Francoise Gruloos-Ackermans, UNICEF Representative in Haiti.
"It is also imperative in responding to emergencies such as this that separated and unaccompanied children, who are most at risk during emergencies, are protected and reunited with their families," added Ms. Gruloos-Ackermans, who assessed the hurricane-stricken area of Jérémie at the south western tip of Haiti.
UNICEF is working with the Department of Civil Protection (DPC) and such UN agencies as WHO, WFP, UNOCHA, as well as on-the-ground partners to respond to the hurricane’s after effects. UNICEF is also engaged with these partners in responding to needs as a result of the January 12 earthquake, which devastated this Caribbean nation.
Widespread flooding in Haiti
Hurricane winds and water caused flooding in Haiti's five southern departments and in other regions including Artibonite, Centre, North West, and the communities of Léogane and Gressier, west of Port-au-Prince. Heavy rains and severe flooding have also occurred in upper Artibonite with as much as three feet of standing water reported in Gonaïves, north of the Artibonite River.
Artibonite and communities in the north-west region of the country have the highest concentration of reported cholera cases.
A focus of UNICEF's response will be on helping ensure the safe evacuation and relocation of children from flooded areas, safeguarding schools and school supplies, protecting children in IDP camps and orphanages, and on ensuring the continued operation of Cholera Treatment Centers, which are part of measures to prevent further spread of cholera.
Flooding and physical damage caused by the hurricane will further complicate the challenge of responding to the cholera epidemic that emerged just three weeks ago. Extensive flooding and the deterioration of clean water and sanitation supplies and circumstances can create the ideal conditions for spreading the cholera disease further, a risk that UNICEF and partners are addressing in their response plans.
A reported 501 deaths and 7,359 hospitalizations have been attributed to cholera in numerous locations throughout the country, according to latest figures from the Haitian Ministry of Health.
While needs assessments are ongoing, additional supplies are already en route. On Wednesday, UNICEF is expecting a large shipment of supplies, including 1.2 million sachets of oral rehydration salts, more than 8 million water purification tablets, and more than 5,000 tarpaulins for distribution in the most affected areas. Supplies, such as water purification kits, tarpaulins, oral rehydration salts, jerrycans, water purification tablets, and zinc tablets to reduce the effects of diarrhea, had already been prepositioned in flood-prone areas. On-site assessments will determine the extent of additional needs.
About UNICEF
UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. Working in more than 150 countries, UNICEF provides children with health care, clean water, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF supports UNICEF's work through fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States.
UNICEF is at the forefront of efforts to reduce child mortality worldwide. There has been substantial progress: the annual number of under-five deaths dropped from 13 million in 1990 to 8.8 million in 2008. But still, 22,000 children die each day from preventable causes. Our mission is to do whatever it takes to make that number zero by giving children the essentials for a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.
For additional information, please contact:
Lisa Szarkowski, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 212.922.2643, lszarkowski@unicefusa.org
