By NNN-BSS
Dhaka : The UNICEF is substantially increasing support to children and women in the districts worst affected by the recent cyclone Sidr, according to a press release here on Wednesday.
Support is being strengthened in nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene and essential medicines – the most vital needs according to five UN assessment teams reporting back from the worst-affected areas.
The UNICEF immediately deployed regular resources in the relief and response operations, and also received US$ 2.7 million from the UN Centre Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
Several donors, including Japan, Canada, AusAid, Swedish SIDA, and the World Bank, have expressed interest to support the organization’s cyclone response efforts.
UNICEF’s total programme response amounts to US$20 million. Children are at the core of UNICEF’s response in nutrition, supplementary food, water, sanitation, hygiene and essential medicines.
The organization is providing 92 metric tonnes of nutritious biscuits in six most affected districts of Patuakhali, Barguna, Barisal, Bagerhat, Pirojpur and Jhalokathi to reach 15,400 young children and 11,600 pregnant and lactating women in 48,700 families.
Also, US$200,000 cash assistance was made available to transport medicines and safe water and to repair damaged tubewells and water sources. The UNICEF is on the ground with the WFP and UNDP to reach the affected people with food and safe water.
With the winter chill gradually setting in, children require urgent life-saving assistance in the form of medical supplies, food, warm clothing and shelter.
As part of non-food assistance, 100,000 blankets, 60,000 children’s clothes, 60,000 family kits (containing 14 essential items) and 60,000 plastic sheets are being procured for use in the affected areas.
The UNICEF is working with the Ministry of Education to help bring back normalcy in children’s lives by opening up temporary learning centres. Only in the government sector, 496 primary schools have been destroyed and 2110 were damaged by the cyclone, the press release said.
With confirmed death count about to cross 3,000, many children may have been lost or separated from their parents. The UNICEF is going to provide psychosocial support to 30,000 children in six most affected districts on tracking separated/distressed children.
Speaking on his recent visit to the worst-affected areas as part of a joint UN mission, UNICEF representative Louis-Georges Arsenault referred to Charkhali in Patuakhali district: “The village on the riverbank is completely wiped away for a three kilometre stretch – not a single house, tree or structure is standing.
“There is total destruction of crops, infrastructure, and people’s livelihood. Children and families here are in acute need for food and shelter. Seeing the scale of the devastation was beyond all imagination.
“But even in this crisis, the people of Bangladesh once again demonstrated their resilience not only in withstanding the loss but also through immediate hard work to rebuild their lives in the face of repeated natural disaster they had to endure this year.
“I was encouraged to note that small scale economic activities have already started in the affected communities. People are making utmost efforts to recover and return to normalcy from the blow they had to suffer only days before.”
Commending the efforts of the government of Bangladesh, Arsenault said an early action by the government in moving over a million people to safety helped save a lot of life.
Recounting his experience from the field, he added, “The rescue and relief operations by the government, Bangladesh Army and the fire brigade along with the UN and NGO responses are very much in progress.”
Arsenault urged the international community to keep Bangladesh high on its priority as the rehabilitation following the devastating cyclone is going to need much support.