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UNICEF 緊急募集善款 遏止朝鮮兒童營養不良危機惡化

2011-11-01

A severely malnourished boy toddler stands outside the Oop Nursery in the Centre of Pyongsan County in the town of Pyongsan in North Hwanghae province, near Pyongyang, the capital. In addition to malnutrition, causing a general listlessness, the children at this centre suffer from inadequate hygiene due to the lack of soap and other basic supplies. The Democratic People's Republic (DPR) of Korea continues to suffer acute food shortages in 1997, the result of a weakened economy and the 1995 floods which displaced 100,000 families and affected 5.2 million people. With the near depletion of Government stockpiles, UNICEF has issued a special appeal to donors for high energy milk (HEM) - a combination of milk powder, suger, oil and mineral salts - to rehabilitate acutely malnourished children. In addition, other supplementary feeding programmes and vaccinations are continuing, as well as the provision of multi-vitamin tablets for pregnant and lactating mothers, and seeds or seedlings for nursery gardens. UNICEF is also cooperating with international NGOs and the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide food for the 2.4 million children under six years of age.
日內瓦/香港,2011年11月1日——聯合國兒童基金會(UNICEF)呼籲國際社會伸出援手,支持本會在朝鮮民主主義人民共和國(下稱朝鮮)推行的營養項目,以保障當地數以百萬計脆弱人民的健康,特別針對患有營養不良的兒童、懷孕和授乳婦女。UNICEF在本年度已呼籲各界募集善款約港幣1.6億元(即2,040萬美元),支持在朝鮮進行的緊急救援工作,但至今已籌得的善款不足港幣3,600萬元(即460萬美元)。據了解,其他在朝鮮工作的慈善機構亦同樣面對着善款短缺的問題。

「若再籌不到善款,這裡的營養項目將難以持續,無法再為患有嚴重營養不良的兒童提供適切治療,對他們的成長及身心發展均會造成永久傷害。」UNICEF駐朝鮮辦事處代表Bijaya Rajbhandari先生指出,「現時朝鮮亦有數以千計兒童患有中度營養不良,他們的家人及當地政府均措手無策,恐怕他們的病情只會進一步惡化,終變成嚴重營養不良。」他續指:「我們必需繼續努力改善朝鮮的公共營養問題,從問題的根本着手,加強健康、食水、環境及個人衞生等方面的工作,紓緩人民營養不良的情況。」

Supplementing school meals in DPR Korea

根據UNICEF的報告顯示,母嬰營養不良的問題最值得關注。超過1/4年齡介乎15至49歲的朝鮮婦女,日常生活中未能獲取足夠營養,這不但會容易導致她們產下體重過輕的嬰兒,大大增加初生嬰兒夭折和患病的風險,引致廣泛性的長期營養不良問題,對兒童發展帶來深遠及災難性的負面影響。

Bijaya Rajbhandari先生坦言:「朝鮮早已陷入長期營養不良的惡性循環,營養不良的普遍情況一直未有改善。沒有持續的救援行動,兒童就永遠得不到良好的發展機會,盡展他們的潛能。」

UNICEF自1985年起,在朝鮮開展兒童及婦女健康、營養、食水、環境與個人衞生等方面的日常及緊急救援工作。