Thousands of children in the Pacific Islands affected by Tropical Cyclone Harold will be assisted by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). UNICEF said it was supporting government responses in Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands to reach children most in need, while facing additional challenges of the ongoing preparedness and response efforts for COVID-19.
UNICEF Pacific representative Sheldon Yett said it was hard to imagine a more difficult situation, the catastrophe of COVID-19 and the disaster of a Category 5 cyclone all wrapped into one.
“However, we are here to support, and our work has never been more critical — we will continue to prioritise the needs of all communities, especially children affected by these dual emergencies,” he said.
UNICEF said local authorities were organising relief efforts which came at a particularly challenging time given the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said UNICEF had provided essential water, sanitation and hygiene items including soap, water containers and buckets to ensure children and families had access to clean drinking water with the majority of water infrastructure now destroyed.
In addition, UNICEF would continue to support communities by providing school-in-boxes and early childhood development kits including books, pencils and materials to support learning needs and help children to regain a sense of normalcy as soon as possible after the disaster.
Tents and tarpaulins provided to communities would also assist in restarting children’s learning and provide families with emergency shelter.
