UNICEF is rushing life-saving supplies into the hardest-hit communities in Haiti.
Donate now to the Children of Haiti Emergency appeal or phone 01 - 878 3000
UNICEF’s response, is aimed at the children and women, who are the most vulnerable in times of crisis. Children under 18 make up nearly 50 per cent of the 10 million population of Haiti.
Last night, in the town of Jacmel, 2,500 kitchen kits and 5,000 1 litre bags of water will be distributed to enable the local population to prepare the food supplies by the World Food Programme.
A cargo plane also landed last night in Haiti, containing €3500,000 of supplies to assist 10,000 people, including oral rehydration salts, water purifications tablets, tarpaulins and tents to provide temporary housing.
Another chartered cargo plane is expected to land tomorrow with more tarpaulins, blankets, emergency health kits, jerry cans and some other supplies.
UNICEF has released a total of €2.34 million toward the relief efforts from several emergency sources, but we urgently need more funding, basic medical and health supplies, family kits/shelter and water hygiene and sanitation supplies are urgently needed.
Constant struggle
The situation of children and women in Haiti was already marked by great vulnerability before the earthquake hit the island. Haiti is one of the poorest countries on earth. It ranks 148th out of 179 countries on the UNDP’s Human Development Index; is struggling to recover from years of violence, insecurity and instability; and has a long history of being struck by one natural disaster after another.
Haiti’s income distribution is highly skewed, with only one in every 50 Haitians holding a steady, wage-earning job. Access to services is highly unequal: the poorer the child is, the less likely he or she is to have access to basic rights. Far too many Haitian children and women are engaged in a struggle for their right to basic necessities like adequate nutrition, clean water, education and protection from violence.
Haiti also has the second-highest population density in the western hemisphere. Four out of every ten children live in homes with mud floors or in severely overcrowded conditions, with more than five people living in each room. With an estimated 46 per cent of the population under the age of 18, the struggle of Haitian children reverberates throughout society and is bound to have serious consequences far into the future.
This latest catastrophe follows a severe hurricane season in 2008 from which the country is still struggling to recover.
With so many people living in such close quarters – and with access to safe water and sanitation severely compromised even in the best of times – vulnerability to life-threatening, waterborne diseases can skyrocket when a natural disaster strikes. So, too, can difficulties in delivering much-needed food, medical supplies and protection services. Children are the ones most likely to suffer the worst consequences.
Donate now online or call UNICEF Ireland on 01- 878 3000