UN Appeals for GBP346m for Humanitarian Operation in Quake-Struck Haiti

LONDON, January 16 - UNICEF joined the United Nations appeal for US$562 million (GBP346
million) for humanitarian operation in Haiti. The appeal seeks to provide
resources to help 3.5 million people for the next 6 months. Key among the
urgent needs are life-saving supplies of food, water, medicines and shelter.
Give that nearly 50% of Haiti's population is under the age of 18, UNICEF has
a particularly critical role to play and is seeking approximately $120
million (GBP74 million) for its work as part of the humanitarian relief
efforts.

Efforts are also underway to unload and deliver UNICEF emergency supplies
and equipment that arrived in Port-au-Prince by plane on Friday. This first
UNICEF shipment included water tanks, water purification tablets and
rehydration salts. Clean water and sanitation are amongst the most important
emergency relief needs following most emergencies, in particular to protect
against the serious health risks posed by diarrheal infections and diseases.

Two more planes loaded with relief are planned for the weekend, carrying
some 70 metric tons of tents, tarpaulin, and medicine.

Many of Haiti's public buildings and utilities have been destroyed. There
is severe damage to hospitals, schools and the city's two seaports. This
infrastructure damage has resulted in large scale displacement of people from
their homes, into makeshift and overcrowded shelters.

As communications systems and infrastructure damaged by the earthquake
that hit near Port au Prince on 12 January are slowly being repaired, precise
information about the damage is still not available. According to the UN's
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) some 3.5 million
people are estimated to be in the areas affected by the earthquake and its
aftershocks. Thousands are feared dead, many more injured and unknown numbers
still buried under the rubble.

UNICEF efforts to assist with life-saving and recovery operations in
Haiti will focus on clean water and sanitation, therapeutic food for infants
and small children, medical supplies and temporary shelter.

About UNICEF

UNICEF is the world's leading organisation working for children and
their rights in more than 190 countries. As champion of the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works to help every child
realise their full potential. Together with our partners, UNICEF delivers
health care, nutrition, education and protection to children in urgent need,
while working with governments to ensure they deliver on their promise to
protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF relies entirely on
voluntary donations from individuals, governments, institutions and
corporations, and is not funded by the UN budget. For more information,
please visit www.unicef.org.uk.

For more information, please contact:

    Christopher de Bono,
    UNICEF Media, New York,
    Tel +1-212-303-7984,
    E-mail: cdebono@unicef.org

    Patrick McCormick,
    UNICEF Media, New York,
    Tel +1-212-326-7426,
    E-mail: pmccormick@unicef.org

For more information, please contact: Christopher de Bono, UNICEF Media, New York, Tel +1-212-303-7984, E-mail: cdebono at unicef.org ; Patrick McCormick, UNICEF Media, New York, Tel +1-212-326-7426, E-mail: pmccormick at unicef.org