NEW YORK (March 16, 2015) – While distributing its pre-positioned emergency supplies in Vanuatu, UNICEF also has dispatched additional life-saving supplies for affected communities from its Pacific regional warehouse in Suva, Fiji. This includes health, education, child protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) supplies.

“The supplies have been packed today and will be airlifted to Vanuatu tomorrow,” said UNICEF Pacific Deputy Representative, Isabelle Austin. “Digicel provided a free airlift and volunteers helped pack the supplies through the night at a warehouse in Suva. These include basic health kits, oral rehydration salt (ORS) sachets, zinc tablets, vitamin A capsules, de-worming (Albendazole) tablets, school backpacks with stationery supplies, recreation kits, hygiene kits, water tanks, soap for hand washing, collapsible water containers and water purification tables.”

Government and humanitarian partners are beginning to conduct comprehensive assessments that will doubtless quantify additional needs, especially beyond the city of Port Vila and on other islands. Meanwhile, these supplies are for immediate needs and to address serious concerns about risks to children’s and families’ health and hygiene, as well as children’s learning and psycho-social needs.

The supplies include five basic health kits with each kit covering 10,000 patients; 1,508 school backpacks with stationery supplies; 31,300 ORS sachets; 330 zinc tablets; 32 de-worming tablets; 69 recreation kits to reach a total of 6,210 children (90 children per kit); 3,000 WASH kits; 200 hygiene kits; 3,000 soaps for hand washing; 5 x 5,000 litre collapsible water tanks and 5 x 1,500 litre collapsible water tanks.

Vanuatu’s international airport - Bauerfield International airport - will reopen for commercial flights on March 17. A number of shipping vessels carrying relief items departed for Vanuatu from Fiji on March 16. UNICEF, World Food Program and other partners are working with the National Disaster Management Office in Vanuatu to set up and run emergency logistics hubs to assure smooth flow of humanitarian supplies in country.

Photos and video footage

Images and videos can also be downloaded from:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/pkxtje8u0mrh0xt/AADt2Go6NBKR30HJDR1FLz_9a?dl=0

For more updates on the ground please visit the UNICEF Pacific YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKIZuPp2cWuWygdPD48tu039JdFfjKCdJ

Edited packages are available here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/orwcfr881wp4kdu/AAAQisP72EIWFhJ9nKC-sr0ma?dl=0

Please ensure all videos and images from Saturday, March 14 are attributed to UNICEF Pacific/ Humans of Vanuatu.

About UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) works in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first. UNICEF has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, 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. Together, we are working toward the day when no children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood. For more information, visit www.unicefusa.org.

For more information, contact:

Marci Greenberg, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, 212.922.2464, mgreenberg@unicefusa.org