UNICEF Canada's CEO available for interviews from Iraq on response to Syrian refugee crisis

TORONTO, Ontario and DOMIZ, Iraq, June 17, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - UNICEF Canada's President and CEO David Morley is in northern Iraq and is available to comment on UNICEF's ongoing response to the Syrian refugee crisis.

In the last six months the number of Syrian refugees in Iraq has tripled. There are now more than 150,000 Syrians in the country including 60,000 children who are in need of urgent assistance.

David Morley will be in North-Western Iraq's Domiz camp where around 40,000 people are sheltering, greatly exceeding the camp's capacity of 22,000.

Families in the camp are sharing tents, transit areas are overcrowded and existing services such as clean drinking water are stretched. Host communities across northern Iraq are equally overwhelmed by the more than 110,000 Syrians now seeking safety and shelter.

Syrian children and families arrive with very little in desperate need of health care, clean water, psycho social support and education to address the stress caused by living through years of deadly war. By the end of this year the number of Syrians sheltering in the country is expected to more than double to around 350,000 refugees.

UNICEF Iraq's key emergency response activities

• Providing nearly 30,000 refugees with safe drinking water and sanitation facilities
• Educating 10,000 primary school children
• Immunizing nearly 20,000 children against measles and meningitis
• Providing psycho-social support for nearly 5,000 children

UNICEF continues to scale up its emergency response activities to meet the urgent needs of Syrian refugees in Iraq but is still 65% ($28 million) short of funds required for this year.

Four million children's lives have been devastated by the ongoing conflict in Syria and an entire generation is at risk. Last week UNICEF and other UN agencies appealed for more than $4 billion to support the regional humanitarian response, the largest humanitarian appeal ever.

WHO: UNICEF Canada's President and CEO David Morley
WHAT:  Update and information on UNICEF's ongoing response to Syrian refugee crisis in Iraq
WHERE: Northern Iraq including the Domiz refugee camp and Dohuk
WHEN: Available for interviews from Iraq from June 18^th to 20^th and on his return to Canada beginning on June 22.

About UNICEF

UNICEF has saved more children's lives than any other humanitarian organization. We work tirelessly to help children and their families, doing whatever it takes to ensure children survive. We provide children with healthcare and immunization, clean water, nutrition and food security, education, emergency relief and more.

UNICEF is supported entirely by voluntary donations and helps children regardless of race, religion or politics. As part of the UN, we are active in over 190 countries - more than any other organization. Our determination and our reach are unparalleled. Because nowhere is too far to go to help a child survive.

SOURCE: UNICEF Canada

Melanie Sharpe
UNICEF Canada,
Office 416-482-6552 ext. 8892
cell: 416-871-7345
[email protected]