五級熱帶氣旋「帕姆」為禍　瓦努阿圖受災兒童急升至6萬人 UNICEF賑災捐款需求大增5成　呼籲港人捐款援助 | 最新消息 | 訊息中心

五級熱帶氣旋「帕姆」為禍　瓦努阿圖受災兒童急升至6萬人 UNICEF賑災捐款需求大增5成　呼籲港人捐款援助

2015-03-16

香港，2015年3月16日──五級熱帶氣旋「帕姆」上周橫掃南太平洋島國後，瓦努阿圖（Vanuatu）受災人數進一步升級，最新受影響兒童數字升至6萬名，亟待緊急救援。聯合國兒童基金會（UNICEF）宣布賑災捐款需求大增5成至港幣2,340萬元（300萬美元），聯合國兒童基金香港委員會（UNICEF HK）緊急呼籲公眾捐款援助受災兒童。

「帕姆」於上周五晚及周六清晨吹襲南太平洋島國，波及瓦努阿圖、圖瓦魯（Tuvalu）及所羅門群島（Solomon islands）等地。重災區瓦努阿圖單是受災兒童數字已上升至6萬名。由於不少早期教育中心及中小學均被摧毀或被徵用作庇護中心，最少70,000名適齡學童無法上學。UNICEF亦現正在評估風災對基建設施及核心服務所造成的破壞，瓦努阿圖最少有8成的電力被中斷，食水供應亦受到影響。

On Sunday 15 March 2015, a family carries their belongings on the outskirts of Port Vila, capital of Vanuatu. Tens of thousands of children are in urgent need of assistance in Vanuatu after tropical Cyclone Pam ripped through the island. The category 5 storm hit late on Friday night, 13 March, and continued into the early hours of Saturday morning, leaving children at particular risk. It is estimated that at least half the population of Vanuatu has been affected by cyclone Pam. Of these, at least 54,000 are children. Many homes in Vanuatu have likely been destroyed as they are built with natural and local materials such as thatched and corrugated roofs that are vulnerable to strong winds and floods. Health centres have likely sustained severe damage and will need rebuilding and restocking with medical and nutrition supplies. Many of these buildings are likely to have suffered structural damage. Lifeline facilities like hospitals, electrical utilities, water supply and telephone systems are most likely severely damaged. Power and water supply has been affected across Vanuatu, including in the capital city Port Vila. Schools are being used as evacuation centres, and UNICEF will be supporting children's education, including providing school in a box kits. Child friendly spaces will be set up in evacuation centres to provide children with psychosocial assistance. Churches and community halls are being used as emergency shelters. Other Pacific Island countries have been severely impact as well, including the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Kiribati. UNICEF is on the ground in the affected countries, providing immediate assistance. Most urgent needs include the provision of water containers, purification tablets, soap and temporary sanitation facilities. UNICEF's immediate needs to assist the affected countries is at least US $2 million, initially covering support to water, sanitation, hygiene, health, education, nutrition and protection services, and including support fo

UNICEF正與當地政府及伙伴機構，提供儲水器皿、淨水丸、肥皂及臨時衞生設施等各項緊急援助；又提供教育百寶盒，及準備於庇護中心內設立「兒童友好家園」，讓受災兒童可以繼續接受教育及得到情緒支援；另外，UNICEF亦作好準備，與世界衞生組織合作，協調麻疹疫苗注射運動，以預防當地3月初爆發麻疹後，疫情在風災期間再度擴散。

「『帕姆』的侵害似乎已逐步平息，但受災人數仍不斷上升，加上電力及基建遭受嚴重破壞，加重了救災的難度，有者甚至指『帕姆』被海燕侵襲菲律賓時更為嚴峻。」聯合國兒童基金香港委員會主席陳晴女士表示：「UNICEF經評估後，在短短一日之間，已將賑災捐款需求提升5成至港幣2,340萬元（300萬美元）。UNICEF的救援隊伍已起程前往島上偏遠社區，準備好日以繼夜幫助最有需要的居民。希望港人亦都伸出援手，捐款支持UNICEF，為災民帶來盼望。」

香港市民可登入unicef.org.hk/donate，捐款支持UNICEF在母嬰健康、教育、營養、食水、衞生及保護等方面的救援行動。

「南太平洋風災」捐款方法：

網上捐款：	/donate
直接銀行存款：	匯豐銀行：567-354014-004
	中國銀行：012-875-1-0810855
	永隆銀行：020-601-003-76352
	東亞銀行：015-260-81-012100
捐款熱綫：	2833 6139

（籌得之善款若多於「南太平洋風災」賑災所需，餘款將撥調聯合國兒童基金會其他緊急救援項目）

請即捐款，幫助受風災影響的兒童！

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傳媒如有垂詢，請聯絡：

聯合國兒童基金香港委員會

高級傳訊主任黃穎祺（Jamie Wong）

電話：2836 2967 / 6149 3378

電郵：[email protected]