UNICEFworks: April 2015

Emergency updates / Did You Know / A call for runners / A new partnership / Make a difference this Mother’s Day

IN THIS ISSUE Emergency updates / Did You Know / A call for runners / A new partnership / Make a difference this Mother’s Day

Rebuilding after Cyclone Pam On March 13, Cyclone Pam struck the small South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu. The damage was extensive. With access to the hardest hit areas virtually cut off, many people were forced to drink sea water and try to survive on rapidly dwindling food supplies. Disease was a terrible threat. UNICEF has been working partners and with the Vanuatu government to deliver critical supplies to the worst affected areas. Restoring safe water, sanitation and hygiene is one of the highest priorities. We have also been supporting a mass measles immunization campaign. To learn more about UNICEF’s work after Cyclone Pam, click here. To support UNICEF’s emergency efforts, make a donation here.

Ebola: Getting back to zero More than a year has passed since the Ebola outbreak was declared in West Africa – the most severe outbreak in history. It has had a devastating impact on children. Children accounted for at least 20% of the more than 24,000 reported cases and at least 16,000 have lost one or both parents. An estimated 5 million children were affected by school closures. Ebola has taken a dramatic toll, affecting livelihoods, disrupting public service delivery, putting education on hold, undermining economic growth and threatening the development progress that had been achieved in recent years. But we are starting to see hope. By late January of this year, the number of new cases in the affected countries had dropped dramatically, and Liberia has now gone more than two weeks without any reported cases. UNICEF has been working to support children’s health and nutrition. Schools are re-opening. As long as Ebola remains a threat to children and their communities, continued vigilance is required. Getting to zero cases is the top priority. But the affected countries are also starting to plan for recovery, to a return to normalcy after Ebola. Read more here »

Did You Know… Did you know that World Immunization Week is coming up? Starting on April 24, this year’s campaign focuses on closing the immunization gap by ensuring universal access to vaccines for all children, no matter how far. Immunization is a critical part of the work UNICEF does to help children survive and thrive – and it works. The number of polio cases has been reduced by more than 99% through mass vaccination campaigns. The number of global measles deaths has decreased by more than 75% since 2000. But with 17,000 children dying from preventable causes every day – one-third of them from diseases that could be prevented by a simple vaccine – the need remains. Learn more about immunization here.

A call for runners! 17,000 children die every day from preventable causes. You can change that by signing up to run for UNICEF at the Scotiabank Marathon in Calgary or Vancouver. With your registration, you are ensuring children will receive life-saving vaccinations, clean water and a quality education no matter where they live. Ensure that all children survive and thrive – sign up today at www.unicef.ca/scotiabank!

Focus on Partners: Learning through play with LEGO UNICEF is excited to announce new global partnerships with LEGO Group and the LEGO Foundation. Play is a fundamental right for children, critical to their physical and cognitive development. UNICEF and LEGO Foundation will work together to promote quality early learning through play for children everywhere. UNICEF will also work jointly with LEGO Group to promote Children’s Rights and Business Principles and help companies take action to respect and support children's rights. Learn more about this exciting new partnership here.

Make a Difference this Mother’s Day What’s the best Mother’s Day gift of all? Helping a child survive… When you give a life-saving gift from UNICEF this year, you’ll help a child survive and receive something special in return: a free Mother’s Day card from Hallmark! This beautifully designed card is our way of saying thank you for your commitment – and for caring so passionately about children around the world. Order online by April 30 to receive your free Hallmark card.