UNICEF Appeals for More than $8 million for medicines and other lifesaving
supplies
NEW YORK, May 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the death toll from
Cyclone Nargis climbs steeply, UNICEF is gravely concerned that the lack of
shelter and safe drinking water, coupled with poor sanitary conditions,
could significantly increase the death toll among children and other
vulnerable populations, leading to a second wave of deaths.
With the death toll climbing well past 50,000, there is concern that
disease could spread quickly, aided by warm weather and standing polluted
water. In all, roughly 8-million children are in immediate danger.
"There is no time to waste when it comes to saving children's lives,"
said Caryl Stern, President and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "With the lives
of tens of thousands of children hanging in the balance, every second
counts."
Noting that with one in three children malnourished in Myanmar, many
children lack the ability to endure a catastrophe on such a massive scale.
"This is quickly shaping up to be a children's catastrophe," said Stern.
UNICEF today outlined in a new document to the donor community the
harsh impact the cyclone had on the children of Myanmar. Flood waters could
be a source of mosquito breeding and lead to malaria and dengue fever
outbreaks which are endemic in Myanmar. In addressing that and other
priorities UNICEF today issued an appeal for immediate needs of $8.2
million.
"In any disaster, it is children who suffer most. Children have died;
many are separated from their families, injured and traumatized. Vulnerable
to hunger, disease and trauma, children and women in the affected areas
require urgent life-saving assistance to survive," UNICEF says in the donor
appeal.
UNICEF began responding within hours of the disaster, drawing on pre-
positioned emergency medical supplies. Along with its partners, including
sister UN agencies and international and national non-governmental
organizations, UNICEF is working to respond swiftly and effectively to the
crisis.
In the wake of a disaster that has left at least 1 million people
homeless and some 24-million affected, UNICEF is gearing up for a massive
relief and supply effort. Prepositioned supplies have already been
distributed to address lack of access to clean water and poor sanitation,
inadequate shelter and poor nutrition. The new appeal will pave the way for
more supplies to reach the battered country once the supply pipeline opens
up.
"We have the know-how and the logistical means. People support UNICEF
because of our track record in the field," said Stern. "They know we will
be there for children before, during and well after the emergency."
UNICEF has been present in Myanmar since 1950, with nine zonal offices
and a head office in Yangon.
To donate to the Cyclone Nargis disaster, please go to:
http://www.unicefusa.org/myanmar or call 1-800 4UNICEF.
About UNICEF
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world's leading
international children's organization, working in over 150 countries to
address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides
lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency
response saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization
in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable
causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF,
with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the
global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope of
survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit
http://www.unicefusa.org.
SOURCE UNICEF
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Related links:
http://www.unicefusa.org
http://www.unicefusa.org/myanmar
CONTACT:
Michael Bociurkiw, +1-212-880-9131,
+1-646-421-0400 mbociurkiw@unicefusa.org, Marci Greenberg,
+1-212-922-2464, mgreenberg@unicefusa.org; or Lisa Szarkowski,
+1-212-922-2643, lszarkowski@unicefusa.org all of U.S. Fund for
UNICEF
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