Topic: UNICEF Appeal for Earthquake Aid

[Astronuc]

As a supporter of our tsunami relief work, you are probably very concerned about yesterday’s severe earthquake in Indonesia.  I want to give you a quick update on UNICEF’s response to the quake and its effect on over a million already traumatized children in the region.

Devastation in Northern Sumatra

While communication to the two islands at the epicenter of the quake, Nias and Simeulue, has been cut, initial air assessments indicate that damage is severe to critical infrastructure used to deliver aid — namely the seaport, airport runways and the road from the airport in Nias to the capital, Gunungsitoli.  Individual homes, and critical facilities such as hospitals and clinics, reportedly have sustained serious damage as well.  Even more tragically, the Indonesian Government estimates some 2,000 people have died in the quake and thousands more are without shelter and need immediate assistance.

Within the next 24 hours, UNICEF plans to fly in emergency materials — tents and tarpaulins, water containers and emergency health kits.  We will be assisting survivors and working to prevent major disease outbreaks as these epidemics always take an especially heavy toll on young children.                                             

Trauma across South Asia
Fortunately, this earthquake did not result in another devastating wave, but it has had an overwhelming effect on survivors of the December 26 quake and tsunamis.

Yesterday’s quake sent thousands of already traumatized survivors in coastal areas throughout South Asia fleeing to higher ground.  Children feel especially powerless in these disasters and are less able to regain a sense of safety.  While some children and adults were making great strides dealing with the grief and emotional stress from the December 26 disaster, UNICEF will need to expand its psycho-social work with children and their families in the coming weeks as many people begin the recovery process all over again after yesterday’s quake.

UNICEF teams will be working on the ground throughout the region to:

• Provide preventive vaccines and other essential medical attention.
• Make reliable clean-water systems available.
 

• Return children back to school as soon as possible.
• Ensure families have adequate shelter and basic food so that children can heal in a safe, healthy environment.
• Offer psycho-social counseling to children who have lost parents, siblings and other family members, or otherwise are traumatized by the disaster.

As you can see, the work ahead of us is substantial.Â�  But caring individuals like you allow UNICEF to move quickly and help children caught up in disasters like this around the world.Â�  Please consider becoming part of our Emergency Response Team .Â�  As an ERT member, you can help provide food, water, sanitation, health care and protection to young people in new crises or ongoing emergencies.

We never know when we will need to respond to save the lives of children.Â�  I thank you for helping us to be ready for this lifesaving work.

Sincerely,

Charles J. Lyons
President, U.S. Fund for UNICEF

unicefusa.org

http://www.unicefusa.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=99373&tr=y&auid=792960