Humanitarian Aid in Disaster and Conflict
UNICEF Is There—Before, During and After a Crisis
Cyclones. Tsunamis. Wars. Political conflicts. Among the scores of people whose lives are upended by natural and man–made disasters every year, children are the most vulnerable. In the last decade, millions of children have died as a result of emergencies, and countless others have been deprived of lifesaving health care, food, water and protection from violence and abuse. And in the unfolding chaos of these catastrophic events, many boys and girls have been separated from their parents.
UNICEF was created after World War II to help children living in war–ravaged areas. And though its work has grown exponentially since then, UNICEF is still the leader when it comes to emergency and disaster relief for children, providing both immediate and long–term necessities—food, water, shelter, protection and physical as well as mental health care. UNICEF also works to reunite children with family and provides care for those who are orphaned.
Each year, UNICEF aids children and families affected by hundreds of emergencies around the world.
Before an emergency even develops, UNICEF's relief efforts can often anticipate where and how it will respond, thanks to its one–of–a–kind operations center (OPSCEN)—an extraordinary, 24–hour emergency information and communications hub. Every minute of every day, members of the multilingual OPSCEN staff monitor potential emergencies and enable UNICEF workers to react almost instantly whenever and wherever disaster strikes.
But it's not just that UNICEF gets there fast—it's that UNICEF is there already. Because it has permanent programs in so many countries, UNICEF can instantly deploy pre-positioned supplies, quickly giving children and families the lifeline they need to survive. UNICEF's commitment to comprehensive relief and recovery means it stays to help communities rebuild long after others have left.
Related Emergency Links
August 27, 2010
UPS helps UNICEF deliver lifesaving supplies to Kyrgyzstan
In the wake of ethnic violence that swept through Kyrgyzstan in June, UNICEF has been working to ensure that children's needs are addressed. These efforts received a tremendous boost from U.S. Fund for UNICEF partner UPS, which helped charter a flight to deliver lifesaving supplies for children and families.
August 26, 2010
UNICEF tending to water and sanitation for displaced families living in Pakistan
Thousand of families made homeless by the floods in Pakistan are now living in makeshift camps. To prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases, UNICEF is providing safe drinking water through water tankers and purification tablets and safe hygiene through the construction of new latrines. In the Chowk Sarwar Saheed Camp UNICEF has also set up a "child-friendly space" to provide education and recreational activities for children living in the camp.
August 23, 2010
UNICEF assesses unprecedented scale of Pakistan flooding
After conducting an aerial and ground survey of the flood-ravaged areas of Sindh province, UNICEF Regional Director Daniel Toole visited with families in relief camps. UNICEF is currently providing clean drinking water and sanitation facilities but Mr. Toole noted that "millions more need the same services."
