Fieldnotes: Blogging on UNICEF's child survival work in the field

UNICEF and other aid agencies have warned that a combination of crises in the Greater Horn of Africa—including drought, conflict, disease and rising food and energy prices—is imperiling the lives of children and their families.

A broad array of news organizations has covered the potentially calamitous situations in Ethiopia, Somalia and other countries in the region, focusing particular attention on the threat of malnutrition. Read these reports from IRIN, AllAfrica.com and Bloomberg News.

Here's also a recent UNICEF Television report on malnutrition in Ethiopia:

We've heard from our four young people who are representing the United States at the Junior 8 Summit shadowing the G8 summit in Japan. Here's their first blog posting, written by Rachael Swanson, their chaperon.

HOKKAIDO, Japan (July 3, 2008) — The opening ceremonies have officially kicked off the 4th annual Junior 8 Summit in Chitose City, here in Hokkaido, Japan. Our four US delegates—Avani, Manogna, Jamie and Matthias—arrived safely and have begun working in their topic areas and interest groups.

© Rachael Swanson

The U.S. delegation team to the J8 Summit arrives in Japan. Pictured from left to right are Mr. Murphy, Avani, Manogna, Jamie and Matthias.

The participants in this year's nine day J8 summit include four youth delegates from each of the G8 countries, and this year’s non-G8 representatives include young people from Barbados, Côte d’Ivoire, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal and South Africa. The delegations are tasked with creating a youth statement, the “Chitose Declaration,” and presenting it to the G8 leaders on Monday, July 7.

Tonight’s participant-led cultural celebration will certainly be exciting and informative! It follows a full day of meetings and discussion on the topic of Climate Change and Global Warming. Yesterday's packed agenda included the opening ceremonies and a tour of Shikotsu National Park.

If you could say anything to the world leaders what would it be? Upload a video or post a comment below, and the US Junior 8 Summit Team will review them prior to their meetings each day!

In a one-of-a-kind television event this Sunday, July 6, CNN will examine why 26,000 children die every day from preventable causes and what UNICEF is doing to save these young lives. Hosted by CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, "The Survival Project: One Child at a Time" will air at 8 and 11 pm (ET).

This historic broadcast will highlight four areas where UNICEF demonstrates its remarkable on-the-ground expertise in doing whatever it takes to save a child:

• Child protection in Iraq
• Water and sanitation in Laos
• HIV/AIDS in Peru
• Child survival interventions in Ethiopia

Leading experts in each of these key areas will contribute to a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Gupta.

"The Survival Project: One Child at a Time" is a chance to get a first-hand look at the plight of millions of children around the world, struggling each and every day for survival. We hope you'll tune in.

	© UNICEF/HQ02-0580/Jim Holmes
	LAOS: A boy bathes with water collected at a handpump, in the remote northwestern province of Luang Namtha. The handpump, installed at a health center, is now also being used by the community.

We're all getting excited about the upcoming CNN program, The Survival Project: One Child at a Time, which will really shine a light on the child survival issues we care about so much. The show will include four documentary-type segments that look at UNICEF programs in four different countries: Iraq, Peru, Ethiopia and Laos. Since I don't know that much about Laos—officially known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic—I thought I'd do a little research and pass it along to you.

My research project was made infinitely easier when I learned that Amy Delneuville, a UNICEF Child Protection Officer based in Laos, would be stopping by our offices to give a talk about the country and UNICEF's programs there. Child protection is one of UNICEF's major focuses in Laos, as are water, sanitation, nutrition and education (among others).

Iodine is probably not something many of us routinely think about.

This natural chemical element enables the thyroid gland to produce hormones and is essential to human development. In much of the world, iodine is found in soil. It is absorbed by crops and then consumed by livestock and humans.

But in some parts of the world, the soil—and thus the food supply—lacks iodine. The results are devastating. Iodine deficiency is the world’s leading cause of preventable mental retardation and brain damage and also increases the risk of infant mortality, miscarriage and stillbirth.

A new UNICEF report, released this week, shows tremendous progress in the effort to protect children and mothers from the cruel consequences of iodine deficiency.

Two decades ago, only 20 percent of households received adequate levels of iodine. Now—thanks to a huge worldwide campaign including UNICEF and partners like Kiwanis International—70 percent are getting sufficient iodine through iodized salt.

Anyone who's been following the news these days is aware of the political turmoil in Zimbabwe. In the weeks leading up to today's highly contested runoff vote, many Zimbabweans who support the opposition party have been beaten or even killed. Tens of thousands have fled the country.

Even worse, in early June the government banned all aid work on the ground in Zimbabwe—threatening the lives of hundreds of thousands of children who need help from organizations like UNICEF to survive. Because the situation is so volatile and is changing so quickly, we wanted to give you some additional insight into what families and children in Zimbabwe are facing, and how UNICEF is trying to help them.

© UNICEF/ HQ06-0405/Giacomo Pirozzi

Belinda Makutya, 11, and her classmates read together at a UNICEF-supported primary school. Belinda’s mother is HIV-positive and her father died of AIDS.

© UNICEF/ HQ03-0012/Shehzad Noorani

For a year, in 2003 and 2004, I lived in Iraq working as a journalist. Annette Apitz's recent post about children's lives in that country brought up a lot of memories for me. While I lived there, I saw some devastating things: families squatting dismally in an abandoned soccer stadium because their neighborhoods were no longer safe; hospitals full of wounded with almost no medicine to treat them; the aftermath of bombings that left cars, houses and humans in wrecked pieces.

But worst of all was seeing children purposely targeted for violence and—shockingly common—for kidnapping. UNICEF is very concerned about an increase in kidnappings of children in several countries including Iraq, Haiti and the Central African Republic, and is calling on governments to enact and enforce measures that provide a protective environment for children.

You may have heard, UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken was in Somalia, meeting lots of children and learning about the catastrophic conditions under which they struggle to survive every day.

Once Clay is back in the U.S., he'll be blogging right here about his experience, so please stay tuned. In the meantime, click here to learn more about UNICEF in Somalia. Or, to support our work to help save and protect the lives of children in this war-torn country, click here.

Children in Iraq have spent their whole childhood under the threat of violence. It can be hard for us to get our minds around this: that Iraqi children have never experienced a time of peace and safety. For two decades now—their entire lives—these children have known only hardship. Sanctions, political insecurity, wars, and the exodus of professionals have had a devastating impact in Iraq and its children.

Basics like water, sanitation and medical care have become scarce. According to a UNICEF Humanitarian Update that was just published, only 40 percent of all children have access to clean water, and less than half are immunized. This year, Iraq experienced a measles outbreak. In response, UNICEF vaccinated over 240,000 children against measles, mumps and rubella.

© UNICEF/ HQ03-0108/Nasih Othman

Over 2 million children are refugees in Iraq, like this boy in an IDP camp, housed in a former primary school.

	© Adam Fifield
	The 2008 U.S. Fund for UNICEF Annual Meeting

Hundreds of UNICEF supporters—including donors, volunteers, corporate partners, NGO representatives and UNICEF staff—came to Atlanta, GA this week for the U.S. Fund’s annual meeting.

The rousing session inside the city’s Woodruff Arts Center on Thursday, June 19 was punctuated by vigorous applause and standing ovations. The audience heard about the remarkable successes of the last year, including the announcement that for the first time ever, the number of children under age five dying each year had dropped below 10 million. But several speakers noted that 26,000 children are still dying every day from preventable causes.

In an appeal for continued vigilance on behalf of the world’s children, U.S. Fund President and CEO Caryl M. Stern told the crowd that she believed that number could be reduced to zero.

“I believe in zero.” Stern said. “Zero does not mean nothing. In this case, zero means everything.”

Zero, Stern said, means a commitment to keep fighting as long as any child is dying of a preventable cause.

I was 16 when I got my first summer job.

It was at a McDonald’s in my Texas hometown, and my responsibilities included flipping burgers and making fries. Most of the money I earned went towards buying trendy clothes and records, and hanging out with my friends at the mall.

But for a lot of kids around the world, a job isn’t a teenage rite of passage or the means to get some extra spending cash. It’s grueling, full-time work done to help their families buy basic necessities like food and shelter. And in the poorest countries, kids as young as five toil in some of the toughest and most dangerous forms of labor out there—mining, construction and mechanical work.

© UNICEF/ HQ97-0097/Donna DeCesare

Four-year-old Norma and her six-year-old cousin, Tonio, work 12 hours a day filling bags with charcoal to help their family in El Salvador. The two cousins are not enrolled in school and suffer from respiratory ailments.

These jobs aren’t only extremely hazardous; they keep millions of children out of school and stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty. UNICEF estimates that there are 158 million children working today—that’s one in six children worldwide.

UNICEF’s first ever comprehensive report assessing the status of Africa’s children cited major challenges and some significant gains in the effort to cut that continent’s stubbornly high child mortality rates.

The State of Africa’s Children 2008: Child Survival, released late last month, noted that among the nearly 10 million children who die each year before they reach age five, half of these deaths occur in Africa.

	© UNICEF

We just wanted to pass on the great news that we've raised over $1 million for UNICEF's new pilot program to help disabled children in Vietnam. (For more on this initiative, see our recent blog post.) We'd like to take this opportunity to give a big thank you to everyone who donated and supported the program! And it gets even better—the Ford Foundation has matched every dollar raised, so that an additional $1 million will be going towards helping disabled children live full lives in Vietnam. We—and the children of Vietnam—thank you!

And, if you'd still like to support our work on behalf of disabled children in Vietnam, it's not too late. Donate today: www.unicefusa.org/vietnam

We've all been following the devastating news about the earthquake in China. 67,000 people have died and 5 million have been displaced, schools have collapsed and entire villages have been buried by landslides.

Though the earthquake struck three weeks ago, the emergency is still happening. Children and their families are threatened by aftershocks and flooding, and survivors are also facing a second crisis: Many children are terribly traumatized by what happened to them, and those that are living in displaced persons camps or are homeless are vulnerable to the spread of disease. Often, it is the aftermath of a disaster that poses the greatest threat to children's lives.

© UNICEF China

UNICEF staff member Kirsten Di Martino talks with boys who have shown signs of withdrawal due to their traumatic experiences. UNICEF helped organize a psychosocial support mission with the Chinese government to assess the status of children affected by the quake.

Ethiopia is a country that has experienced more than its share of hardship. Now, once again, its people find themselves in dire straights. UNICEF is there, and we hope you can support our response to the current crisis.

The severe increase in global food prices and a terrible drought have left 126,000 children severely malnourished and up to 6 million children under-five in need of preventive health and nutrition interventions.

© UNICEF/ HQ08-0452/Grum Tegene

A severely malnourished child lies inside a tent, at a feeding centre on the grounds of Ropi Catholic Church, in Sirano District in Oromia Region.

Droughts are particularly deadly in this country where 80 percent of the population lives off the land. Livestock has died, fertilizer is scarce, fuel prices are through the roof and an ongoing conflict in the Somali (Ogaden) Region is making it all worse. In short, people—especially children—are suffering.

© UNICEF/ HQ08-0429/Grum Tegene

A woman feeds her severely malnourished child therapeutic milk F75 at the UNICEF-supported feeding unit of Bissidimo Hospital, in the East Harerghe Zone of Oromia Region. The milk, rich in micronutrients, is the first phase of a feeding regimen – eight times daily – that helps the body recover from the shock of malnutrition and condition it to digest food.

	© UNICEF Myanmar/2008/Win Naing
	UNICEF staff travel to a remote village in western Ayeyarwady Division.

When the cyclone struck Myanmar, many of the worst-hit areas were unreachable by road. Plus, there was the problem of getting permission to enter the country. A lot of relief organizations were turned away or had to wait for government-issued visas—a long process when time is critical.

But not UNICEF.

UNICEF didn’t need special entry because it’s been in Myanmar since 1950. So when it came time to respond, UNICEF was ready with 130 staff members and pre-stocked emergency supplies inside the country. It quickly distributed family health kits, tents and water purification tablets (to prevent waterborne diseases like cholera and diarrhea—top killers in post-disaster environments) to more than 150,000 people within days.

UNICEF is now scaling up their efforts to reach all survivors and is working to achieve longterm solutions for cyclone-affected regions. For children, this means restoring normalcy in their lives and helping them overcome their trauma. One of the best ways to do this is by creating child-friendly spaces, which can serve as both safe play-areas and make-shift schools.

Téa Leoni, Ben Stiller, Nicole Ritchie and Joel Madden have recorded public service announcements in support of UNICEF's relief efforts in Myanmar.

We've posted all of them to our YouTube channel (http://youtube.com/unicefusa), where we're continuing to post video updates on the Cyclone Nargis emergency response. Here's Téa Leoni's spot:

Check them all out, spread the word, and subscribe to our channel to be alerted whenever new material is posted.

The situation for children continues to worsen in Myanmar as thousands of children have been separated from their families, many more are living in desperate conditions in relief camps, and some are drinking water from ponds covered with dead bodies.

Below, a man collects wood near the carcass of a cow killed by the cyclone, some 50 kilometres south-west of the township of Kunyangon. As bodies decompose, the water supply is further contaminated.

Here, a woman breastfeeds her infant in the temporary shelter of a monastery near the village of Pyanpon in the southern Irrawaddy Division. Behind them, another woman and child share the same bed. They have all been displaced by the cyclone.

UNICEF has distributed pre-positioned supplies to hard-hit areas. Below, a man secures a UNICEF aid package to the back of his bicycle, with the help of his two sons, in the cyclone-affected township of Kunyangon in the southern Yangon Division.

More to follow.

In the meantime, if you want to help, please consider making a donation or posting a badge on your website or blog.

Thank you for your support.

© UNICEF/HQ04-0747/Martinez
A boy’s T-shirt bears the message "No more anti-personnel mines." He attended a 2004 ceremony in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, marking the government’s destruction of its arsenal of anti-personnel mines.

You might not be aware of the proliferation of landmines in Colombia. After all, it's not a story that's in the news much these days. But the rising number of landmines and unexploded munitions in Colombia pose a huge threat to the country's children. In UNICEF's recent Humanitarian Action Report, Colombia was identified as one of the 39 countries in the world that need emergency help right now.

Colombia has been embroiled in a civil war for the last 40 years. Millions of its citizens have fled their homes, and landmines are found in 31 out of Colombia's 32 provinces. A recent study shows that Colombia has more landmine victims than any other country in the world—and children make up one third of the country's victims.

As you know, UNICEF began responding within a day of the disaster, drawing on pre-positioned emergency medical supplies. Here's a quick recap of what's been delivered to date:

• 6,000 ORS, 1,500 water guards, 10 essential drug kits (to cover 5,000 people per kit), 20 first aid kits, 270 tarpaulins, 1 bleaching drum and 300 family kits to Laputta, Irrawady division.
• 5,000 ORS, 5,000 water guards, 10 drug kits, 20 first aid kits, 100 tarpaulins and 1 bleaching drum to Mawlemyine Kyun, Irrawaddy division.
• 3,000 water guards, 3,000 ORS, 6 drug kits, 20 first aid kits, 1,000 tarpaulins and 2 bleaching drums to Hlaing Thar Yar and Kyauk Tan townships, Yangon.
• 1,000 water guards, 1,000 ORS, 5 drug kits, 10 first aid kits to Kun Gyan Gon township in Yangon.
• 1,000 water guards and 1,000 ORS for 1,280 children, including 120 HIV/AIDS affected girls and women, residing in Department of Social Welfare training schools in Yangon.

UNICEF is also the lead agency on the ground for water, sanitation and hygiene; education; and child protection. Here's an overview of what's going on in these areas.

Reports coming out of Myanmar are increasingly grim. Fatalities are likely to be in the tens of thousands, and the affected population more than 1 million.

UNICEF is taking the lead in water and sanitation--as children under 5 are particularly vulnerable to water-borne diseases in the aftermath of a natural disaster--as well as child protection, nutrition and education.

The key priorities for the 131 UNICEF staff in the field are providing drinking water, tents, tarpaulins, family kits, health kits, bednets and blankets.

We'll post additional updates as we get them.

The numbers coming out of Myanmar (as high as 10,000 according to the foreign minister referenced in the New York Times) make Friday's cyclone the world's deadliest storm since a 1999 cyclone in India.

An estimated 100,000 people--many of them children--are now homeless. Their most urgent needs are plastic sheeting for shelter, water purification tablets, cooking sets, bed nets, emergency health kits and food.

UNICEF has been working continuously in Myanmar since 1950, and will take the lead in addressing children's needs in this crisis.

If you would like to make a donation in support of these efforts, click here.

Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar over the weekend, killing hundreds and leaving thousands homeless. UNICEF has staff on the ground and supplies pre-positioned to help children and families.

For an initial overview of the situation, check out IRIN and today's New York Times coverage.

We'll keep you posted on UNICEF's emergency response here.

UNICEF’s success in helping reduce the global child mortality rate and its efforts to provide education to all children, even in the wake of emergencies, were highlighted earlier this week in a Financial Times profile.

The article related a brief history of UNICEF, including its embrace of education as a central tenet of its mission to save and improve children’s lives. It also discussed other current challenges, including the battle against HIV/AIDS and child exploitation.

As part of its rights-based approach to tackle inequities, UNICEF has made gender equality a priority in its education programs (see video). UNICEF also believes that education can break cycles of poverty, lessen the burden of disease and help foster sustainable development. Learn more about UNICEF’s myriad work in education here.

Do you follow UNICEF’s education initiatives? What programs do you consider most important?

	© The International Herald Tribune/Thomas Fuller

There was an excellent article in the New York Times yesterday that explains how the global food crisis is affecting kids. The article looks at a school in Cambodia as a case study in the larger emergency that is threatening children from Southeast Asia and Africa, to Haiti and beyond.

Have a look here: www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/world/asia/30cambodia.html