Haiti funding needs nearly triple following Hurricane Matthew - UNICEF

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PORT-AU-PRINCE and TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2016 /CNW/ - Three weeks since Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti, UNICEF said it would need an additional $22.5 million to meet the increasing needs of children in the country, including in the hurricane-hit areas.

"Children in Haiti have for years been vulnerable to poverty, severe weather patterns, violence, malnutrition and poor water infrastructure," said Marc Vincent, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. "Hurricane Matthew made a precarious situation even worse and we need the international community to come together to help us address children's increasing needs."

UNICEF increased its Haiti appeal from $13.4 million earlier this year to $36.6 million. The additional funds will help provide families and children across Haiti with basic health, nutrition, education and protection services including:

• Cholera vaccination for people living in high-risk areas;
• Nutrition services to malnourished children under the age of five and pregnant women;
• Family tracing and reintegration for unaccompanied and separated children;
• Recreational and psychosocial support to children affected by the hurricane;
• Safe water for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene, including for persons displaced by the hurricane;
• Adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services for people living in cholera-affected areas;
• School supplies and learning materials for children in areas hit by the hurricane.

Right before the hurricane struck, UNICEF prepositioned water bladders, water treatment units and bottled water in the South and Grand'Anse departments to help families be better prepared. UNICEF was on the ground 24 hours after the hurricane hit and since then, working with partners, has continuously scaled up its response, providing to date:

• 10,000 emergency packs including blankets, hygiene kits and buckets to families in South and Grand'Anse departments;
• Nearly 20 water treatment plants to bring water to approximately 100,000 people per day in the South, Grand'Anse and Nippes departments;
• More than 1,000,000 Aquatabs for water treatment, allowing about 80,000 people to have access to safe water for 15 days;
• 50 cholera kits, 20 washing points and information to 2,000 people on safe hygiene practices to prevent the spread of cholera;
• Increase from 5 to 14 the number of teams deployed 24-48 hours after each suspected cholera case to provide immediate assistance. On average each team responds to 10 households which might be at risk.
• 170 metric tons of emergency supplies flown in from Panama and Copenhagen.

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. For more information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicef.ca. For updates, follow us on Twitter and Facebook or visit unicef.ca.

SOURCE UNICEF Canada

Image with caption: "On 12 October 2016 in Jérémie, Haiti, women and children fill buckets with clean water. A tanker truck in the area provides chlorine-treated spring water to temporary shelters for the displaced. ACTED, a UNICEF implementing NGO-partner, is working in partnership with the national water branch, DINEPA, to ensure the purification of the water delivered. ©UNICEF/UN035681/LeMoyne (CNW Group/UNICEF Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161027_C5762_PHOTO_EN_805584.jpg

To arrange interviews or for more information please contact: Tiffany Baggetta, UNICEF Canada, 416-482-6552 ext. 8892, 647-308-4806; Stefanie Carmichael, UNICEF Canada, 416-482-6552 ext. 8866, 647-500-4320 (mobile), [email protected]