Quake children at greater risk after rain, snowfall: UN

Posted by Kashif Aziz
January 4, 2006

Children in the earthquake-hit areas are at greater risk of disease after recent rains and snowfall have made conditions more severe, the UN children’s agency said on Tuesday.

“Although there has been no major epidemic, many children are already suffering from acute respiratory infections in the quake-affected areas,” an official of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said. He said that the inclusion of antibiotic cotrimoxazole in health kits provided by UNICEF to community health workers will help treat these infections, but it would be far better if parents could keep children warm and prevent them from getting sick.

He said that temperatures stay below freezing point at 5,000 feet and above during daytime, while dropping to –15 degrees Celsius at night. “This is just the beginning. The weather forecast predicts more rain and snow in the quake-hit areas of Pakistan-administered Kashmir and NWFP,” he said. He said that the winter may last beyond the end of March in villages at higher altitudes. Surviving the bitter chill has been a major concern for everyone living and working at high altitudes. An estimated 235,000 families of about seven people each now live in tents. According to a rapid assessment by the UN, one-tenth of these tents are too thin to withstand the winter. The report also says that some 75 percent of the households require additional protection to get through the winter. Items such as blankets, quilts, plastic sheeting, and tarpaulins are urgently needed.

“UNICEF has procured 215,000 blankets and quilts to prepare children and families for the winter,” the official said. He said that the French government has also donated 13,000 quilts through the French National Committee for UNICEF, and another 120,000 are on the way from manufacturer Ikea. However, he said that the need was much greater than these supplies, with another 1 million blankets or at least half a million quilts still needed. UNICEF has also distributed 53,100 sets of winter clothing to children, consisting of items such as warm jackets and winter boots. “We need another 800,000 kits of these essential items of warm clothing for children,” he said.

Source: Daily Times

Aftermath

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