Unicef appeals for funds to help victims of Cyclone Pam

BANGKOK: Unicef has only around 15 per cent of the money it needs to obtain life-saving aid to thousands of children and their families, after Cyclone Pam battered Vanuatu and other Pacific islands, the children’s organisation warned yesterday.

In a statement, it revealed the huge funding shortfall as it announced a new US$ 4.8 million humanitarian appeal, as part of a wider United Nations US$ 29.9 million appeal for Vanuatu launched yesterday.

About 82,000 children — about two-third of the children population in Vanuatu — are in need of humanitarian assistance, it said. As of Monday, Unicef has received US$769,000 towards its emergency response to Cyclone Pam.

“We have committed US$ 2.7 million in procurement and transport costs, some from loaned funding which has to be repaid. We urgently require more funds to reach more children in desperate need, especially on the remote islands”, said Unicef Pacific Representative, Karen Allen.

“Life-saving supplies are getting through ... however, we urgently require more funds to reach more children in desperate need, especially on remote islands.”

The aid response to Cyclone Pam involves huge logistical challenges. Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are made up of numerous islands – Vanuatu alone has 83 – with high costs involved in procuring and delivering vital supplies. — Bernama