UNICEF Helping in Katrina's Aftermath

UNICEF today announced that they will take the unusual step of sending volunteers and money to the Gulf Coast region hit hard by last week's Hurricane Katrina. Clay has been a special ambassador for UNICEF since 2003, which means that Clay may visit the region. You can donate to the special UNICEF Katrina fund here. Here is the letter sent out to UNICEF supporters:

Since we wrote to you on Saturday, the U.S. government has accepted UNICEF’s offer of assistance for children and families struggling to survive the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Thousands of children have seen their lives literally washed away. They have lost their homes, their schools and communities, and some have even lost a parent or grandparent. Many children have witnessed a breakdown of the very structures that are designed to protect and sustain them…and they have witnessed mass destruction, death, suffering, and civil unrest.

Please click here to make a donation to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF right now to help the children devastated by Katrina.

UNICEF’s expertise in recovery efforts
In the immediate aftermath of Katrina, UNICEF offered assistance to the U.S. government for hurricane survivors. This offer was accepted on Sunday. UNICEF staff are now among a UN team assembled in Washington, DC, working with the U.S. government to coordinate the international response.

As you know, UNICEF has almost 60 years of experience in the special survival, protection, and emotional needs of children who experience disasters like Hurricane Katrina. This marks the first time, since its founding in 1946, that UNICEF has been asked to assist with an emergency response in the United States.

Please donate now.

UNICEF is prepared
UNICEF keeps pre-packed emergency supplies in its global supply hub that can be deployed quickly, along with technical experts able to coordinate logistics, conduct rapid assessments and maneuver supplies - all critical aspects of emergency response.

UNICEF's immediate concern is the survival and protection of affected children, ensuring that adequate food, water, medicine, sanitation and shelter are available for all children and families. It is also imperative that separated children are reunited with their parents, family members or guardians as soon as possible.

Once the acute survival phase has passed, UNICEF will support the restoration of educational settings. In times of disaster, getting children back to a learning environment is one of the most effective ways of helping them to feel safe, cope with trauma and begin their emotional healing.

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,

U.S.Fund for UNICEF