UNICEF HK raised 7.8 million to support relief work in Nepal 15 Child-Friendly Spaces set up to help children recover from trauma | Latest News | News | Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF

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UNICEF HK raised 7.8 million to support relief work in Nepal 15 Child-Friendly Spaces set up to help children recover from trauma

2015-05-04

HONG KONG, 4 May 2015 — One week on from the earthquake in Nepal, UNICEF says health and wellbeing of children affected by the disaster are hanging in the balance – as many have been left homeless, in deep shock with no access to basic care. UNICEF has set up 15 Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) at the most severely affected areas, to help children cope with the aftermath. As of today, the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF HK) has raised HK$7.8 million to support UNICEF’s Nepal relief work and to protect Nepali children, which includes public donations and HK$1 million allocated from its emergency relief fund.

A young girl and her mother speak with UNICEF South Asia Regional Director Karin Hulshof. On 1 May 2015, UNICEF distributed emergency supplies to one of the five worst earthquake-affected districts in Nepal. UNICEF South Asia Regional Director Karin Hulshof and UNICEF Representative to Nepal Tomoo Hozumi were on hand to witness the distributions of two medical tents and 15 boxes of hygiene kits and to learn about the impact of the earthquake on residents of Maidi village in Dhading district. One week on from the earthquake in Nepal, UNICEF says the health and wellbeing of children affected by the disaster are hanging in the balance as many have been left homeless, in deep shock and with no access to basic care. With the monsoon season only a few weeks away, children will be at heightened risk of diseases like cholera and diarrhoeal infections, as well as being more vulnerable to the threat of landslides and floods. The April 25 earthquake flattened more than 130,000 homes and left 3 million people in need of food assistance. Some 24,000 people are currently staying in 13 camps in Kathmandu. In a country where just over 40 per cent of children are stunted, fears for childrens nutrition are rising. At least 15,000 children with severe acute malnutrition require therapeutic feeding. There is also an urgent need for children in the 12 most affected districts to get back to their normal routine by setting up child-friendly spaces, opening schools and providing access to basic services, such as health and water. In the past week, UNICEF has flown in more than 85 tons of aid, including tents, plastic sheeting, blankets and life-saving medicines; set up child friendly spaces in informal camps, to offer support to help children recover from their experiences and a safe place where they can play and learn; and set up psychological support services in Gorkha, Kaski, Sindhuli, Kavre, Ramechhap and Kathmandu. UNICEF has also delivered aid to remote areas outside

©UNICEF/NYHQ2015-1097/Panday

The April 25 earthquake caused devastating damages to Nepal, nearly 80 per cent districts of the country are affected – the number of affected districts increased to 57 out of 75, 12 of which are declared severely affected, according to UNICEF teams’ assessment in Nepal. The earthquake has flattened more than 130,000 homes and left 3 million people in need of food assistance. Children are the most vulnerable in disaster – many children often start crying with a slight shaking of the ground due to aftershocks. There is urgent need for children in the most affected districts to return to their normalcy as quick as possible by setting up CFS and temporary learning.

On 30 April, children play in a tent housing a UNICEF-supported child-friendly space in Tundikhel, a large grass-covered area and important landmark in Kathmanudu, the capital. A UNICEF counsellor was present at the space to talk with children about what they had endured. A temporary camp has been set up in Tundikhel for internally displaced people. By 30 April 2015 in Nepal, search, rescue and relief operations continued in the aftermath of the massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the country on 25 April. The quakes epicentre was 80 kilometres from Kathmandu, the capital. Over 5,500 people have been killed, and more than 11,100 others have been injured. Over 4.2 million people have been seriously affected, out of which an estimated 1.7 million 40 per cent are children below the age of 18 years. Residences, schools and vital infrastructure, including hospitals, have been severely damaged or destroyed, leaving thousands of children and families homeless, vulnerable to disease outeaks and in urgent need of food, shelter, safe water and sanitation, and health support. Over 3 million people are estimated to be in need of food assistance, with 1.4 million needing priority assistance. Some 24,000 internally displaced people are being hosted in 13 camps in Kathmandu, the capital. Working with the Government and other partners, including fellow United Nations organizations, UNICEF is supporting water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, nutrition, child protection, education and other interventions. In response to the disaster, UNICEF has provided tents, including for hospitals; tarpaulin sheeting; emergency medical kits; vaccines and related supplies; zinc and oral rehydration salts to prevent diarrhoeal disease outeaks; water purification tablets; hygiene kits and buckets; and temporary learning spaces. Working with partners, psychosocial services have been initiated in the districts of Gorkha, Kaski, Kathmandu, Kavre, Ramechhap and Sindhuli. UNI

©UNICEF/NYHQ2015-1078/Karki

UNICEF has established 15 CFS for the benefits of thousands displaced children in Kathmandu Valley. They are filled with lots of art activities, games, sports for children to pass their time and play with, as well as provide psychological support – to protect children and help them overcome the shock and trauma of living through earthquake. More supplies to set up additional CFS beyond the Valley are now in transit. UNICEF has also distributed school and early childhood development kits, child kits and tarpaulins in Kathmandu and Lalitpur camps, which are useful to start temporary learning centres in informal camps.

Ms Judy Chen, Chairman of UNICEF HK announced that, "Many children’s lives have changed forever. They have lost family members and their homes, they are severely affected by the stress of living through the earthquake. We need to protect Nepali children, help them to return to normalcy. UNICEF HK has allocated HK$1 million from the emergency relief fund, together with over HK$6.8 million raised from the public, we have raised HK$7.8 million for the mission so far. And, more local corporations have been joining our relief effort in Nepal.”

To help quake-affected children and families in Nepal, please make online donation at unicef.org.hk/donate. Besides, from today to end of May, donation boxes will be placed at nearly 250 outlets of Maxim’s Group to collect public donation. UNICEF has launched a HK$393 million (US$50.35 million) appeal to support its humanitarian response to the earthquake in Nepal for the next three months.

Donation for Nepal Earthquake

Online donation:	/donate
Direct Bank-in:	HSBC: 567-354014-005
	Bank of China: 012-875-0-021868-3
	Wing Lung Bank: 020-601-003-7634-8
	Bank of East Asia: 015-260-81-012100
Hotline:	2833 6139

(In the unusual event that donations for Nepal Earthquake exceed the needs, we will direct your gift to disaster or emergency relief actions elsewhere.)

Donate NOW to support Nepal Earthquake response

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For more information please contact:

Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF

Jamie Wong, Communication Specialist	Tel / Mobile: 2836 2967 / 6149 3378	Email: [email protected]