Funding will contribute to reducing Liberia’s high under-five morality rate

MONROVIA/LIBERIA, 13 November 2006 - The Government of Japan has contributed US$1.604 million to UNICEF to support life-saving child immunization coverage and provide almost 150,000 insecticide treated bed nets to protect infants and pregnant women from malaria. The grant will also be used to provide 780,000 doses of Artesunate and Amodiaquine (ACT) to care for children who contract malaria, Africa’s leading cause of under-five mortality.

“We are profoundly grateful to the Government of Japan for their continued commitment to assist Liberia’s vulnerable children,” said UNICEF Liberia Representative Rozanne Chorlton, at a press conference with Mr. Yutaka Nakamura, Charge d’Affaires in the Government of Japan’s Embassy in Ghana. Two senior officials from the Government of Liberia also participated in the Exchange of Notes ceremony in the Liberian capital: the Hon. Toga Gayewea McIntosh, Minister of Planning, and the Hon. Bernice T. Dahn, MD, MPH, Deputy Minister and Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

“This generous contribution from the people of Japan will support UNICEF’s interventions to sustain immunization coverage of Liberian children under one year of age at 85 per cent; distribute 147,840 bed nets in Lofa, Grand Gedeh, and Maryland counties; and supply 780,000 doses of ACT treatment,” said Chorleton.

Since 2002, the Government of Japan has provided UNICEF Liberia with more than US$14.2 million to support the prevention of infectious diseases and the reintegration of demobilized Liberian children formerly associated with the fighting forces.

“This high level of commitment not only reflects the strong partnership between UNICEF and the Government of Japan, but the will of respected donors to support the Government of Liberia,” said Chorlton. “The time is now for the donor community to support Liberia, and we thank the Government of Japan for their expeditious and generous action. UNICEF is also delighted to work as ‘One UN’ with our sister agencies, especially through the leadership of the World Health Organization, to support the impressive progress Government has achieved in protecting Liberian children from vaccine preventable diseases.”

With support from UNICEF, the Government Japan and other partners, the gains have been impressive. 2005 figures show that:
• Measles coverage has increased to 94 pre cent - up from 42per cent in 2004;
• DPT3 (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus) coverage is up at 87per cent in 2005, up from 31per cent in 2004;
• Liberia is on track to be certified polio free – no cases having been reported for three-years.

“These positive results indicate that real progress can be achieved for children during Liberia’s reconstruction process;  but this progress must be sustained if there is to be a substantial lowering of Liberia’s tragically high infant and under-five mortality rates, thereby meeting MDG Four,” said Chorlton.

Mr. Yutaka Nakamura said, “this new funding for UNICEF Liberia is part of my Government’s continued trust in UNICEF’s capacity to deliver results towards the achievements of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Four and Five, which focus on child mortality and maternal health. Like the United Nations, the Government of Japan is accelerating its efforts to achieve MDG4 and 5 and has made a commitment to providing ten million bed nets to developing countries by end of 2007.”

The Hon. Minister McIntosh thanked the Government of Japan for the grant and said it will target the well-being, health and nutrition of children. “The Government regards the nation’s children as the leaders of tomorrow,” Mr. McIntosh said, adding that the grant was in support of the policy direction of the Government. He also expressed his satisfaction that the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in the project, “as this will yield maximum results for our people.”

The Hon. Minister Hon. Bernice T. Dahn praised the Government of Japan saying, “By partnering with the United Nations and other major donors, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has worked to boost measles and DPT3 (diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus) coverage levels in Liberia to 94 per cent and 87 per cent in 2005, up from 42 per cent and 31 per cent in 2004. We have to work to sustain this coverage, and that’s a major reason why the partnership between UNICEF the Governments of Liberia and Japan is so important.”

Speaking of the Government of Japan’s support to the anti-malarial campaign in Liberia, the Hon. Dahn said, “Malaria is Africa’s leading cause of under-five mortality and it is the biggest killer of children in Liberia. This funding will provide treatments and tools that can help. Sleeping under insecticide treated nets can reduce child mortality from malaria by 20 per cent. Still, many child deaths occur at home, before access to life-saving treatments and prevention. Malaria is truly a disease of poverty. It afflicts primarily the poor, who tend to live in malaria-prone areas in dwellings that offer few, if any, barriers against mosquitoes. We have a lot more work to do with our partners to protect all Liberians from this destructive and deadly disease.”

***
About UNICEF

For 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, working on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Patrick Slavin, Communications Officer, UNICEF Liberia: Tel + 06 834-019, pslavin@unicef.org

LUANDA, 18 December 2006 – The Spanish Government has made a timely donation to UNICEF Angola – to support scaling up effective interventions, crucial for maternal, newborn and child survival.

“We welcome this timely contribution, to support the Ministry of Health’s efforts in the implementation of its National Strategic Plan for Maternal and Child Mortality Reduction,” said Per Engebak, Regional Director of UNICEF East and Southern Africa.

The one million Euro contribution from the Spanish Government will be used to strengthen the capacity of the health system to deliver proven and effective interventions for maternal, newborn and child mortality reduction. Amongst other essential interventions these funds will support policy development, health personnel training, provision of essential drugs, and strengthening health information systems.

Javier Vallaure, Ambassador of Spain in Angola, expressed his satisfaction with the new era of cooperation between the Government of Spain, the Government of Angola and UNICEF. “Spain has always had a very close relationship with UNICEF. I think this donation, assisting the miraculous event of birth, will improve Angolan children’s survival and development. Mothers will be healthier and more able to assist their children in the first years of life. In this way, children will really become the foundation of this nation,” Vallaure said.

According to UNICEF, Angola has one of the highest maternal, neonatal and child mortality rates in the world. Every year, 12,500 women die from pregnancy and child birth related complications, 40,000 newborn children die within in one month after birth, and nearly 200,000 children die before celebrating their 5th birthday. Most children die from preventable causes such as pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria and malnutrition.

The main constraint to reducing maternal and child mortality is in overcoming the devastation of the health system that occurred over 27 years of war. The health system faces many challenges such as low institutional and human resource capacities, with services based largely in urban areas. Health posts are grossly under-utilized due to a lack of capacity in management of common newborn and childhood illnesses. Currently only 30-40 per cent of the population has access to essential health services.

In Kilamba Kiaxi municipality, some 20 minutes away from the city center of Luanda, the hospital is so crowded that three-four children share one bed in the emergency room. The hospital conducts 40-60 child births every day, but there are no beds to keep the mothers and newborns overnight. “A lot of sick newborn children delivered at home come here, and the case fatality rate is very high among them. The main causes of admission are pre-term births and infections. Parents usually come very late with the sick children, too late to be saved sometimes” said the doctor working in the hospital.

***

About UNICEF
For 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, working on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information, please contact:

José Luís Mendonça, UNICEF Information Officer: Tel + 912 653013; jlmendonca@unicef.org

Over 200 million for Education in Emergency and Post Crisis Countries

GENEVA/THE HAGUE, 22 December 2006 - Millions of children in the developing world have a new ray of hope as the Dutch Government today announced it has pledged $201 million to UNICEF to radically expand the agency’s ongoing efforts to ensure that children in conflict, natural disasters and emerging from crisis can go to school.

It is the single largest earmarked donation UNICEF has received in its 60-year history.  While schooling children stuck in emergencies, whether conflict or natural disasters, is a core part of UNICEF’s mandate, this donation will allow for a dramatic scaling up of programmes.  Children recover more quickly if they are in school, a safe haven both physically and psychologically.

“UNICEF has a proven track record in innovation and working with local community organizations.  We know our investment will bring us much closer to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, especially those on Education FOR ALL BOYS AND GIRLS,” said Dutch minister for Development Cooperation, Agnes van Ardenne.  Presently half of the children in the world who currently receive no education live in the 70 countries in which a conflict is raging or has raged.

The donation came as the Dutch Government moves toward increasing its assistance for education to 15 per cent of its official development aid in 2007.

“We will use this uniquely generous donation from the Dutch people to reach more children with even better quality programmes,” said Karin Hulshof, Director of Programme Funding for UNICEF.  “Millions of children who might never have had the joy of the first day of school, never seen a book or held a pencil will be transformed thanks to this gift.”

It is expected that 40 countries in emergency or post crisis situations would benefit from this additional funding, including countries such as: Sudan, Liberia, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lebanon, occupied Palestinian territories, Nepal, Myanmar, Haiti, Sri Lanka, Cote d’Ivoire, Azerbaijan, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Swaziland.  The programme will enable ten million children who are currently deprived of any form of education to return to school and will give another 15 million living in crisis situation a better education.

The funds will be distributed over four years and will accelerate progress in education for post crisis countries, so that they can get back to a normal development path in the earliest possible time.

Practically speaking it means improved access to schools, training teachers, developing learning materials, making learning spaces and schools more child-friendly and better equipped.  The donation will also fund emergency response programmes for children living in areas that are vulnerable to natural disasters to improve their chances of survival.

The Dutch Government will be closely monitoring the results of the donation, releasing funds following an annual year-end review.

“We hope to learn the best way to build up stable education systems in countries recovering from crisis, as we are strongly committed to provide primary education to all boys and girls,” said Agnes van Ardenne.

UNICEF will also receive an additional US$ 56 million for water and sanitation programmes, US$ 24 million for child protection programmes and US$ 24 million for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment from the Dutch Government.

“This donation perfectly reflects UNICEF’s priorities for children,” said Hulshof.  “Education, health, protection and HIV/AIDS prevention are all essential to ensuring a solid future for children and for all of us.”

About UNICEF:
For 60 years UNICEF has been the world’s leader for children, working on the ground in 156 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information, please contact:

Michael Bociurkiw, UNICEF Geneva: +41 79 216 9401; mbociurkiw@unicef.org
Kate Donovan, UNICEF Media Section: +1 212 326 7452; kdonovan@unicef.org

Amman, 29 March 2007 – UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action Report 2007 calls on donors and the international community to contribute to a USD $635 million appeal to assist children and women in 33 natural disasters and complex emergencies worldwide. The Arabic report is being launched on April 3 in Dubai.

The report also describes the scope of ongoing interventions as well as budgetary needs to uphold fundamental relief operations in several developing countries where humanitarian partners and the UN system collaborate with a longer-term vision to strengthen human rights, governance, security, gender equality, human development and economic growth.

Arab celebrity and UNICEF’s Regional Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa, Mahmoud Kabil from Egypt will take to the podium at the Dubai International Humanitarian Aid & Development (DIHAD) Conference to highlight the situation of children in war-torn areas such as Lebanon, Sudan and the occupied Palestinian territories. He will also relate the region’s panorama to persistent funding shortfalls which continue to inhibit far-reaching and sustainable humanitarian response.

Goodwill Ambassador Mahmoud Kabil will also refer to the growing number and frequency of emergencies in the region, in environments ever more hostile to humanitarian workers. Lawlessness and a rapid rise in the number of the internally displaced in Iraq; the reconstruction of Lebanon; insecurity and violence in the occupied Palestinian territories and the dire situation of children and women in Darfur will constitute important elements of Kabil’s remarks at DIHAD’s closing session on April 3rd.

UNICEF’s global appeal in 2007 envisions 155 million for programmes the Middle East and North Africa, of which 122 million (78 per cent) is destined to cover humanitarian needs in North and South Sudan.

This year’s report incorporates a funding proposal equaling 5.7  million for Lebanon, where several weeks of aerial bombardment and on-the-ground military action during the third quarter of 2006 left the basic road infrastructure in tatters, hundreds of public schools uninhabitable, the primary health care system broken down and millions of unexploded ordnance planted in impoverished villages and roads to school.

Syria represents a new addition to HAR this year, in consideration of the operations in support of an estimated 450,000 Iraqi refugees in the country, half of whom are children. Child immunization, maternal health, education and psychosocial counseling are factored into the humanitarian response plan, among others.

Humanitarian Action Report 2007 translates the diagnosis of crisis countries into funding requirements that are likely to tackle some of the distressing forms of violence and abuse being exerted against women and children: children who will most likely flee their war-torn countries or withdraw from school; infants and children under five who will remain unvaccinated; entire communities made inhospitable and vulnerable to the threats of war, disease and HIV/AIDS; and, in general, boys and girls at permanent risk of exploitation and abuse.

DIHAD 2007 will be held under the overall theme “New Perspectives on Prevailing Humanitarian Challenges”. The conference will address lessons learned from the response to recent humanitarian crises and identify new tools in Humanitarian Information Management.
*****

About UNICEF:

UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For further information and / or interviews, please contact:

Mr. Abdel-Rahman Ghandour
UNICEF MENA-RO Regional Communication Advisor
Mobile No.: +962-79-700-4567

Wolfgang Friedl
Communication Officer, UNICEF MENA-RO
Mobile No. +962-79-5732745

Core funding for United Nations’ development agencies to exceed €86.44 million in 2007

Dublin, 3 April 2007 – Conor Lenihan TD, Minister of State for Irish Aid and Human Rights, today announced new strategic partnerships with key UN development agencies. He was joined at the announcement by the Director of Emergency Programmes for UNICEF, Dan Toole.

Under the strategic partnerships, Irish Aid will guarantee significant levels of funding for the next four years, allowing for better strategic planning by the UN agencies.
The partnerships will include strict requirements on monitoring and evaluation, efficiency and coherence to encourage efforts towards a streamlined UN family. Partnerships are being agreed with UNICEF, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

Making the announcement, Minister Lenihan said, “Irish Aid achieves many of its goals through very strong partnerships, with development NGOs, missionaries and UN agencies. Today’s announcement recognises the effectiveness of the UN, in particular UNICEF, in meeting Irish Aid priorities on the ground.

The partnerships that we are putting in place are about making our funding more predictable and ensuring that it is used strategically. We are making our contribution to the UN as effective as possible and ensuring better value for money for the Irish taxpayer.”

UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes, Dan Toole, said, “Thanks to Ireland’s longstanding and future commitment to children, UNICEF has been able to provide life-saving interventions when it matters most. Irish Aid has been there through emergencies in the past and as today’s announcement shows, they are willing to help us even more in the future.”

***

About Irish Aid:
Irish Aid core funding to the United Nations’ funds and programmes will increase from €62.9 million in 2006 to €86.44 million in 2007. Core contributions to UNICEF have tripled in the last five years. Funding to UNICEF for 2007 will be €14.75m, (up from €10.6m in 2006). In addition to this core funding, Irish Aid provides support for UNICEF’s responses to natural disasters and humanitarian emergencies. The 2007 contribution to UNDP will be €22.5 million, up from €16.2 million in 2006, while UNHCR will receive €12.75 million, up from €9.25 million in 2006.  Irish Aid provided approximately €140 million to NGO funded projects in 2006.

About UNICEF:
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For more information, please contact:
Rafael Hermoso, UNICEF, +1-212-326-7516; e-mail: rhermoso@unicef.org

€700,000 to bolster protection and reintegration of formerly abducted and other vulnerable children in north

KAMPALA, 26 June 2007 – UNICEF in Uganda today expressed its appreciation to the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO) for its recent contribution of €700,000, approximately US $ 940,000 made toward implementing key elements of UNICEF’s child protection programme in four conflict-affected districts in the country’s north.

The contribution will assist projects, supported by the UNICEF, for the protection and social and economic reintegration of children and adolescents, subjected to or at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse.  An estimated 41,900 children and more than 8,000 persons aged 19-24 years old, living in camps for internally displaced persons and areas of IDP return and resettlement in Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum and Pader Districts, will benefit from the projects.  This group includes children and young persons formerly associated with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), those affected by HIV/AIDS, those subject to sexual abuse and exploitation, those in contact with the law and those sleeping outside their traditional places of accommodation.

UNICEF Representative in Uganda, Keith McKenzie, said he was encouraged by the European Commission’s continued solidarity with and support for the children and women of northern Uganda.

“The Humanitarian Aid Department has been robust, both in its commitment and contributions to ease the humanitarian impact of the conflict.  This latest donation strengthens the frontline effort to build a protective environment for some of Uganda’s most vulnerable children,” he said.

Specific interventions include providing family-tracing, emergency shelter and household items, and reunification services and other immediate support for formerly abducted children returning from captivity; distributing school learning materials to encourage vulnerable children to complete their primary education; working with children’s and adolescents’ peer-support groups; and supporting visits to IDP camps and areas of IDP returns by trained social workers to identify and monitor specific cases of children subject to or at risk of harm.

About UNICEF

UNICEF works on the ground in over 150 developing and transitional countries to help children survive and thrive. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for poor countries, UNICEF works to advance the Millennium Development Goals by supporting child health and nutrition, quality basic education, access to clean water and sanitation, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and HIV/AIDS.

For more information, please contact:

Chulho Hyun, UNICEF Media, Kampala, +256 772 222 347, chyun@unicef.org
www.unicef.org

YEREVAN, 2 July 2007 – VivaCell, Armenia’s leading mobile operator is joining UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and Science to support on-going efforts to include children with disabilities into basic education. VivaCell is donating 36,773,760 Armenian drams (over $105,000) to UNICEF to help ensure that children with disabilities in Armenia are able to enjoy their right to a quality education.

“VivaCell’s generous donation will help ensure that children who would have otherwise had difficulty going to school will be able to do so,” UNICEF Representative in Armenia Sheldon Yett noted. “VivaCell, a signatory to the UN Global Compact, is showing, by example, how the private sector can use its resources for the benefit of children. We hope that other companies in Armenia will follow this company’s lead and demonstrate a commitment to improve the lives of children and families in this country.” The Global Compact is a United Nations driven initiative to promote responsible corporate citizenship.

“We believe in the future of Armenia, and the future of Armenia is our children. Business has a responsibility toward the country in which it operates – to minimize, to the extent possible, the outcomes of social inequality between people and especially among children, and to ensure that all children of Armenia, irrespective of their social or health status, are provided equal opportunities to get a quality education and participate fully in the life and opportunities in the world around them. That’s why VivaCell is interested in this inclusive education project. VivaCell recruits individuals with disabilities and invites other enterprises operating in Armenia to do the same,” said Ralph Yirikian, the General Manager of VivaCell.

This joint project will benefit children currently studying at eight inclusive schools in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, and in the province of Tavoush. Funds given by VivaCell will significantly ease children’s access to those schools through construction of ramps and provision of three specially equipped minibuses to transport children to and from the school. In addition, the project includes training for teachers in interactive, child-friendly teaching methods and establishment of resource rooms at project schools.

According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues, there are approximately 8,500 children with disabilities living in the Republic of Armenia. Although the country has 13 inclusive schools and five UNICEF-supported community centres that cater for the needs of 1,500 children with disabilities, many of these children still remain isolated from the society and excluded from basic education.

UNICEF established its presence in Armenia in 1994. UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to meet their full potential.

***
About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

About VivaCell
VivaCell is the leading Armenian mobile operator, providing a wide range of Voice and Data services. Since its launch on 1st July 2005, in a short period of time VivaCell has managed to build a nationwide network and a considerable customer base. VivaCell drives the development and offering of innovative mobile communications products, services and features in the Armenian mobile communications market.

For more information, please contact:
Emil Sahakyan, Communications Officer, UNICEF Armenia, Tel: (374-10) 52 35 46, 58 01 74, Fax: (374-10) 54 38 10, E-mail: esahakyan@unicef.org

SYRIA, 9 July 2007 – The Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and UNICEF Syria signed a cooperation agreement providing humanitarian support to children and women refugees from Iraq. The agreement covers an initial amount of 11 million SYP covering projects until end of 2007.

The focus of this cooperation with SARC will be on meeting the needs of Iraqi children refugees by creating an environment that protects and stimulates their development and helps them and their families overcome the stress related to their situation.

Dr. Abdel Rahman Attar, President of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent indicated “Our organisation is managing projects for our Iraqis brothers in cooperation with UNHCR, other Red Crescent and Red Cross branches and ECHO. The organisation launched a call for assistance to 20,000 Iraqi families in terms of health, education and social services and it will also cooperate with other humanitarian non-governmental organisations, once they are approved by the relevant Syrian authorities. This agreement is important to support Iraqi refugee women and children and we highly appreciate the support and close cooperation of UNICEF for the interest of Iraqi children refugees in Syria,” added Dr. Attar.

SARC will establish a minimum of four child friendly spaces which will be animated by 80 SARC volunteers through cultural, recreational and psychosocial support activities in affected communities. A minimum of 4,000 children per month are expected to be reached by the end of 2007. In addition to activities for the children, these spaces will represent an information and guidance hub to the families; particularly for mothers on child and maternal care, as well as a means to detect serious cases of distress among children and families that will need referral for more extensive psycho-social support.

“This is a symbolic step that reflects our belief in the capacity of the SARC to make a difference for children. We saw this in the way they supported the Lebanese refugees last summer. Their support to Iraqi children in Syrian is already up and running,” said Mohamed Anis Salem, UNICEF Representative of Syria.

The second key component of this agreement is to strengthen the capacity and skills of the SARC volunteers on managing the child friendly spaces and on providing services to the children and women, including the provision of basic psycho-social support.

Finally, a resource centre on psychosocial support & child protection will be set up and managed by the SARC accessible to all partners involved in providing humanitarian support to Iraq refugee children and families. This centre will allow for establishing standards, ensuring quality control of services and developing communication and advocacy as well as represent a training hub for partners.

Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, approximately 1.4 million Iraqi refugees have settled in Syria, residing mainly in Damascus and rural Damascus (Jaramanah, Qudsaya, Sayedah Zeinab, Masaken Barzeh). In addition to basic survival needs, which affected communities have difficulty in meeting, Iraq refugees (children and women in particular) face great psychosocial challenges. Refugees arrive from Iraq grappling with violence, exploitation, damaged/broken family life, stress, fear, anxiety and confusion. They also face a situation where they lack identification documentation, information and income and school drop-out is prevalent among the communities.

SARC, in cooperation with UNICEF, have already set up a child friendly space in the UNHCR registration centre. This space is managed by SARC volunteers who welcome an average of 100 children accompanied by their parents (on a daily basis) who are waiting for their registration appointments, for whom they organize recreational activities.

***

About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.
For more information, please contact:
Tamara Saeb Communication Officer UNICEF Syria Country Office Tel: + [963] 11 6122592/3/4 Ext. 114, tsaeb@unicef.org

NEW YORK, 11 JULY 2007 - UNICEF today highlighted the immense toll placed on the millions of children in South and East Asia who have been impacted by flooding caused by the monsoon season and cyclones. In Pakistan, India, Myanmar and Afghanistan, flooding is exacerbating conditions for already vulnerable children.

In Pakistan, an estimated 2 million people have been affected, as of Monday, by flooding following four days of heavy rains in the wake of cyclone Yemyin on 23 June. Three out of four people affected are children and women, and at least 300,000 of affected children are under 5 years old. Accessibility remains a concern, with many areas still cut off by rising water, and many water distribution systems have been totally or partially destroyed, leading to poor hygiene and unsanitary conditions that are causing waterborne diseases, dehydration and infection. With hospitals and health clinics closed or only partially functioning, humanitarian aid is desperately needed. The worst hit areas in Balochistan and Sindh are among Pakistan’s most disadvantaged, making children and women there especially vulnerable to natural disasters. UNICEF is coordinating with government, UN agencies and other partners on assessments, with a particular focus on the needs of children. UNICEF has issued an “Immediate Needs” document requesting $5 million for the response through October 2007.

View full report: PAKISTAN FLOODS IMMEDIATE NEEDS FOR CHILDREN AND WOMEN

Emergency UNICEF supplies have arrived in Thandwe township in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the western coastal state bordering Bangladesh which was hit by torrential rains at the start of July. Flooding has also been reported in Ayeyarwaddy, Bago and Tanintharyi Divisions on the central and southern coasts. Flood waters have destroyed houses, covered the floors of hospitals, health posts and schools with mud, contaminated hundreds of drinking wells with mud and blocked latrines. UNICEF has been able to distribute essential drugs, oral-rehydration salts, water purification tablets and family kits, in part because of efforts to preposition supplies following the tsunami. UNICEF staff who were in Rakhine State to help monitor the third phase of the polio vaccination campaign are now helping conduct a rapid assessment to assess the further needs of the flood-affected communities.

Heavy monsoon rains have preceded flash floods in parts of West Bengal, Orissa and Rajasthan, India. UNICEF has received requests for assistance from the governments of West Bengal and Orissa and has health, water and sanitation, and nutrition supplies prepositioned to respond. Additional supplies for shelter and health are being arranged. Some prepositioned supplies were used in the last few days in Chattisgarth and Orissa to provide immediate relief.

In Afghanistan, flooding in late June caused the deaths of over 100 people and the displacement of thousands. UNICEF response included the distribution of emergency health kits, oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets and water bladders. UNICEF has prepositioned supplies for over 5,000 families and will release additional supplies upon request.

***

About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.  The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.  UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

For more information, please contact:

Patrick McCormick, UNICEF Media New York, 212 326 7426, pmccormick@unicef.org
Veronique Taveau, UNICEF Media Geneva, Tel: +41 22 909 5716, vtaveau@unicef.org
Rafael Hermoso, UNICEF Media New York, 212 326 7516, rhermoso@unicef.org