Media Advisory - In Toronto: UNICEF chief of crisis communications, recently returned from Ebola-response deployment in Liberia

TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2014 /CNW/ -

WHO: Sarah Crowe, UNICEF's Chief of Crisis Communications, who five weeks ago returned from a five-week deployment in Liberia as part of UNICEF's Ebola response

WHERE: Toronto, Ontario

WHEN: Tuesday, November 18 & Wednesday, November 19, 2014

WHAT: Sarah can speak about:

• The urgency of the crisis and continuing challenges
• How the global response is tackling the outbreak, including Canada's contribution
• The particular vulnerability of children who have been orphaned and stigmatized by Ebola
• How this crisis is different from other global emergencies and must elicit a unique response

BACKGROUND: During her deployment to Liberia, in support of UNICEF's team, Sarah:

• Made regular field visits to affected communities to gather information
• Trained people on prevention techniques
• Provided education for local communities
• Met with government officials and partners on the ground
• Coordinated UNICEF's response along with local staff
• Supported local and international journalists covering this crisis

VISUALS AVAILABLE:

• Show-and-tell segment of an eight-piece Ebola Prevention Kit demo by Sarah with explanation about how these items are being used in the field to prevent infection of staff who are providing support to the outbreak.
• Photos and video from Ebola-affected countries can be downloaded from: http://uni.cf/1xZAb39

BIOGRAPHY:
Sarah Crowe is the Chief of Crisis Communications and spokesperson at UNICEF. For more than 12 years, she has been doing the United Nation's humanitarian and communications work specializing in sub-Saharan Africa (spent most of her life there) and South Asia for UNICEF, and prior to that with UNHCR and the World Bank. Before joining the UN, she worked as a journalist for more than 20 years, as an anchor and correspondent for British television (Sky News and BBC) and hosted her own show 'World Watch' on SABC TV. Crowe has interviewed a number of world leaders including Nelson Mandela, Kenneth Kaunda, Robert Mugabe and Jacques Chirac. She has worked for various media - London Sunday Times, The Independent, Christian Science Monitor, as well as in Sweden for Reuters and Radio Sweden and in South Africa as Head of Current Affairs at SABC TV. She has also freelanced for CNNi. Sarah is an Irish national. She speaks French, Swedish and enough Portuguese and Zulu to briefly impress.

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.

SOURCE: UNICEF Canada

Tiffany Baggetta, UNICEF Canada, 416-482-6552 ext. 8892, 647-308-4806 (mobile), [email protected]