Helping the needy children

Press, 10 February 1981, Page 14

Helping the needy children

Do you remember “Africa Week” which was held in Christchurch at the beginning of September last year? During that week we learned a lot of happy things about this vast ancient continent made up of many independent states. People had a chance to dance to African music and to taste traditional foods; as well as learning about nations belonging to the Organisation of African Unity, a body formed in 1963 to assist all Africans to unite in their striving for prosperity and liberty. Independence has not brought prosperity to a number of African nations, yet. Hundreds of thousands of Africans are needing a lot pf help, and they are getting it from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other organisations that work for children.

UNICEF works for children in many parts of the world by helping parents to supply the things their children need. Its long-term project in Africa is water, a necessity of life, but at the same time a source of disease if it is contaminated. UNICEF field workers are showing the people how to build wells which will provide pure safe water. UNICEF also gives immediate aid to relieve suffering in titres of emergency, and such times are always cropping up somewhere in the world. Usually the children suffer most., ■ At present East Africa is reported to be a disaster area. The countries most severly affected are Somalia, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. On a vzorld map you will find these countries between the equator and 15 degrees North. Djibouti is a tiny state on the Red Sea coast tucked in between Somalia and Ethiopia. Uganda is 'separated from Ethiopia by part of the Kenyan border. There are several reasons for the present crisis. A long period of drought has led to crop failures and loss of livestock.

I Mass poverty has been the result in these , countries where food at the best of times isn ot plentiful. Border fighting between Somalia: and Ethiopia has added to the distress. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have poured into Somalia over the last ; two years. The total population of refugees is about one million and a half, ! mostly women and child- ' ren. The death rate among children is high, the main cause being lack of proper food. The accompanying picture of sad-faced moth- . ers and thin little children tells a story of hunger and exhaustion. ! UNICEF has joined with the Somalia Government in a programme to train the refugees to run their own health, educational, and social services. The fund is also providing hos--1 pital equipment, medi1 cines, drugs, medical and first-aid. kits, school supplies, , immunisation equipment, and large quantities of vaccines. 1 It is a big undertaking, and only one of UNICEF’s many aid programmes to relieve the suffering of ’. children in . the world - which we all share. UNICEF depends on' the support of the developed ■ countries to carry out its pledge to improve the quality •of life for needy children everywhere.