UNICEF's Content

UNICEF: Response to floods in Philippines

UNICEF — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:38:48 -0700

NEW YORK, USA, 1 October 2009 More than 200 people have died and hundreds of thousands have been displaced from their homes due to flooding in and around metropolitan Manila in the Philippines.
UNICEF has expressed deep concern about the well-being of children and families affected by Tropical Storm Ondoy, which triggered the floods this past weekend, dropping a months worth of rain in just 12 hours. The floods have affected a quarter of metropolitan Manila, as well as some 24 provinces around the country.
In response, UNICEF has been distributing pre-positioned emergency supplies, including both food and non-food items. Meanwhile, 90,000 packs of water-purification tablets and 650 water-purification kits have been shipped from UNICEFs main supply warehouse in Copenhagen, Denmark, to aid displaced families who do not have access to safe water.
This gives them a chance to have drinking water available, because what these [shipments] include is water vessels and also treatment for drinking water, said UNICEF Emergency Logistics Specialist Jens Grimm.

UNICEF: Reinvigorating Zimbabwe's schools with new books

UNICEF — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:56:59 -0700

NEW YORK, USA, 14 September 2009 UNICEF and its partners are launching a massive campaign in Zimbabwe to get textbooks into school classrooms
In one of the largest social initiatives of the past five years, the Educational Transition Fund announced today that it is spending $70 million on the initiative. Its goal is to ensure that all of Zimbabwe's children receive a quality education.
Zimbabwe's education system once one of the best in sub-Saharan Africa has declined to the point where one in five primary schools has no English, mathematics or African-language textbooks. As a result, pass rates have fallen significantly and more than 50 per cent of primary school pupils do not go on to secondary school.
According to UNICEF Representative in Zimbabwe Dr. Peter Salama, the initiative launched today will increase the ratio of learning materials currently estimated at 1 textbook for every 10 students to one book for every two pupils within the next year.

UNICEF: Multiple crises for children and families in DR Congo

UNICEF — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 08:10:20 -0700

UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a five-day visit to assess the situation of women and children amidst what is widely seen as Africa's worst humanitarian crisis. Here is one in a series of related reports.
NEW YORK, USA, 28 August 2009 The situation facing children and families in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo was critical enough as they faced increasing conflict and insecurity in recent years, but at this moment the country is facing three major crises, says UNICEF Deputy Representative in DR Congo Steven Lauwerier.
These crises are taking place simultaneously in northern DR Congo, as well as North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, Mr. Lauwerier noted in a recent interview with UNICEF Television.
In all three areas, he said, various factions are battling for territorial control or political power, and relentlessly recruiting children into armed conflict.
Although the Governments of DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda undertook joint military operations to defeat the armed groups earlier this year, the groups are still fighting. In fact, said Mr. Lauwerier, they are engaging in an unprecedented level of sexual violence, amongst other methods, to terrorize the population.

Original source: unicef on Youtube

UNICEF: Helping mothers prevent HIV transmission in DR Congo

UNICEF — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 07:54:17 -0700

UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a five-day visit to assess the situation of women and children amidst what is widely seen as Africa's worst humanitarian crisis. Here is one in a series of related reports.
By Shantha Bloemen
KATANGA, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 27 August 2009 Louise Ngone is the head nurse of the Kikula Health Centre in Katanga. Ms. Ngone or Mama Louise as she is affectionately called is a tireless advocate for all children born in her clinic, and she is passionate about making sure as few of them as possible are born with HIV.
Although Kikula is a busy clinic with an average of 25 babies being delivered each week, the staff and volunteers are committed to patient confidentiality, close monitoring and follow-up care for their patients.
Perhaps because of this extra attention, the Kikula centre currently has the highest number of pregnant women who accept HIV testing in the province.

Original Source: unicef on Youtube