Fiji Floods: UNICEF helps re-equip flood-affected schools

10 April, 2012

Fiji Floods: UNICEF and partners help re-equip flood-affected schools

Flood-affected schools in the Western Division of Suva are to re-open today after being closed for over a week due to flood damage. UNICEF is working with partners to re-equip schools and welcome back children whose lives have been devastated by the floods.

More than 14,000 people, including 5,000 children, have been displaced from their homes due to flooding. Water and electricity shortages are occurring across the area making it difficult for families to maintain adequate hygiene and increasing risk of leptospirosis, diarrhea and typhoid. To combat this UNICEF is distributing water and sanitations kits together with the ‘school-in-a-box’ kits.

Dennis McKinlay, Executive Director at UNICEF NZ, said, “We want families to get back to their normal lives as soon possible. Of particular concern is the continued loss of teaching and learning hours of students many of which had already lost class time with the flooding in January, therefore it is important that we assist schools to reopen as soon as possible.”

‘School in a box’ and recreation and early childhood kits are being distributed to schools. Each kit contains a blackboard, pencils, exercise books and crayons to re-establish each school’s learning resources.

UNICEF NZ is monitoring the situation in Fiji and is currently responding to concerns over access to clean water for both drinking and bathing. In response, UNICEF with the Fiji Red Cross is disturbing water and sanitation kits to families in need, including 1000 being delivered over the weekend.

Help children in Fiji by donating at www.unicef.org.nz/EmergencyFund

About UNICEF

UNICEF is on the ground in over 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence.

UNICEF is the largest emergency response agency for children and the world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries. UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS.

UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Every $1 donated to us is worth at least $10 in the field thanks to the way we work in partnership with governments, local NGOs and other partners.

www.unicef.org.nz

ENDS

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