UNICEF Reaching Children Affected By Cyclone Pam On Remote Pacific Islands

By Minggu Simon Lhasa BANGKOK, March 23 (Bernama) -- The United Nations (UN) children’s agency, UNICEF, is delivering essential supplies to children who need them most in Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu despite logistical challenges posed by the impact of Tropical Cyclone Pam on small island countries in the Pacific. Each affected country comprises numerous different islands that take anything from a few hours to six days to reach, by air or sea, said UNICEF in a statement. Transporting supplies is expensive. The destruction brought about by the Category 5 cyclone wrecked infrastructure and damaged roads, making transportation and communication between and within islands difficult, it said. “Thanks to Government-led assessments, more information is now available on how children are being affected by this disaster,” says UNICEF Pacific Representative Karen Allen. “UNICEF’s preparedness and expertise in emergencies enabled us to act swiftly, to help meet immediate life-saving needs and support the government and our humanitarian partners on coordination and logistics. “We are now working with government, UN and NGO (non-governmental organisation) partners to prevent deterioration in the health and well-being of affected children,” she said. UNICEF’s responsibilities are in the areas of water, sanitation, hygiene, maternal and child health, nutrition, education and child protection. In Vanuatu, the worst-hit country, assessment reports have confirmed widespread destruction, ranging from 20 to 90 per cent devastation of houses, schools, clinics, churches and crops. At least, 80 per cent of schools have been affected either through cyclone damage, or through hosting displaced people. As access to affected areas improves, UNICEF is scaling up from its initial response with pre-positioned stocks. Emergency supplies have arrived in Tuvalu and Vanuatu and are on a ship bound for Kiribati, with yet more destined for Vanuatu. UNICEF’s pre-stocked warehouses in Suva, Fiji, Port Vila, Vanuatu, Tarawa, Kiribati and Honiara, Solomon Islands immediately dispatched water, sanitation and hygiene, health, education and child protection supplies worth about US$2 million. -- BERNAMA