Child-friendly spaces set up in camps sheltering people affected by Cyclone
Nargis
NEW YORK and BANGKOK, Thailand, May 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Young
victims of Cyclone Nargis that have lost or been separated from their
families are receiving protection and care in child-friendly spaces in
camps established by UNICEF.
In hard-hit Laputta Township alone, UNICEF is currently trying to
identify the parents of 24 children sheltering with people they do not
know.
Children are among the most vulnerable in this disaster. Lack of access
to clean water and poor sanitation, inadequate shelter and poor nutrition
pose particular threats to children. This leads to an increased risk of
diarrhea, which can be deadly to children living in precarious conditions
such as these. Flooding can also be a source of mosquito breeding and can
lead to outbreaks of malaria and dengue fever, which are endemic in
Myanmar.
Even before the cyclone struck more than a week ago, about one in three
children in Myanmar were malnourished.
The child-friendly spaces can also serve as makeshift schools while
UNICEF works towards getting children back to school in time for the
opening of the school year on June 1. In addition, UNICEF has ordered large
quantities of "schools-in-a-backpack", a more mobile version of the
"school-in-a-box" kit used in emergency situations around the world.
"In any situation where you have children living under extremely
stressful conditions, both physically and emotionally, it is important for
their welfare that they are provided with a space where they feel safe and
provided for -- where they can begin to return a little bit to normal
life," said Ramesh Shrestha, UNICEF Representative in Myanmar.
According to UNICEF, up to 90 per cent of the schools in the affected
areas have been damaged to some degree. This adds up to some 3,000 primary
schools and more than 500,000 pupils. UNICEF will set up safe learning
spaces with tents and provide essential learning packages for the children
who have no school to go to.
Since the cyclone hit on May 3, UNICEF has been distributing food,
water, medicines and shelter equipment. UNICEF water and sanitation experts
are also concerned that the breakdown in the power supplies and sanitation
systems may lead to a high risk of infections and water-borne diseases such
as cholera and dysentery.
UNICEF has 130 staff in country, 9 zonal offices and a headquarter
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 U.S. Fund for UNICEF
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Related links:
http://www.unicefusa.org
http://www.unicefusa.org/myanmar
CONTACT:
Michael Bociurkiw, +1-212-880-9131, or
+1-646-421-0400, mbociurkiw@unicefusa.org, or Marissa Buckanoff,
+1-212-922-2485, mbuckanoff@unicefusa.org, both of U.S. Fund for
UNICEF
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