UNICEF is supporting the national response to the needs of children and women in the areas of health, water and sanitation, education, nutrition and child protection.
UNICEF is supporting Department of Public Health Engineering to repair tube-wells, providing cash assistance for the transportation of water to the affected areas and supplying jerry cans though more are needed.
Though stocks of essential medicines to address possible disease outbreak are adequate UNICEF is supporting the Government to reestablish cold chain and replenish vaccine supplies. UNICEF is working with WFP to distribute food and high energy nutritional biscuits in the 5 worst affected districts.
Children in affected districts are suffering from severe emotional distress. Many have been displaced and separated from their families. Traditional support and care arrangements are no longer functioning and psychosocial support for these children will be crucial to their long-term well-being. UNICEF will help provide psycho-social support through trained NGO partners in shelter homes and communities. They will organize recreational sessions and exercise vigilance to protect vulnerable children.
UNICEF has taken action to provide long term psychosocial support to 30,000 children in the 6 most affected districts. An assessment is being done with NGO partners and Save the Children USA to identify children displaced/separated/distressed from the cyclone. The first intervention is recreational kits which are already pre-positioned with partners NGOs and trained facilitators.
UNICEF is collaborating with Save the Children Alliance, particularly SC USA, UK and local NGOs in the 2 most affected districts, Barisal and Patuakhali. Two NGO partners have 150 facilitators and volunteers with 300 recreational kits - who are ready to take immediate action for the protection of a minimum 3,000 most vulnerable children.
In case of distressed children, a referral system will be established with specialized agencies.
UNICEF is in the process of procuring family kits, plastic sheets and more dry food as needed. The most commonly used dry foods are flattened rice, puffed rice and molasses. UNICEF is ready to provide cash assistance for procurement and distribution of dry food.
Funding
The estimated funding requirements for immediate action amount to $2,355,000. The funding requirements will be revised once the full extent of the damage and the assistance needed will have been assessed.
Source: UNICEF
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