U.S. Fund for UNICEF announces $1.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Funds designated for support of flood victims in Indian’s northern Bihar region
NEW YORK (October 6, 2008) — The U.S. Fund for UNICEF announced today a $1.1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support emergency relief efforts for 125,000 people affected by the unprecedented floods in India’s northern Bihar region.
"As we saw earlier this year with the Myanmar cyclone and the Chinese earthquake, children and women are the most vulnerable to disease and distress following any natural disaster,” said Caryl Stern, President and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “UNICEF has already distributed water-purification tablets, water tanks, rehydration salts and other materials to the worst-affected districts, but there remains much more to do."
The grant, received within days after the Kosi River breached its banks, has been designated for UNICEF’s water, sanitation, education and child protection programs. Outbreaks of water borne diseases are especially common following a natural disaster like flooding so interventions are needed to ensure water quality, improve environmental sanitation facilities and manage cases of diarrhea. Education is another casualty in affected areas as schools have been damaged and the rest are used as shelter camps for the displaced population. Assistance comes in the form of temporary learning spaces, teacher learning equipment and material and training and mobilization of teachers. Finally, the donation will be used for programs that prevent trafficking, abuse, violence and exploitation of children—another common result of any humanitarian crisis.
About UNICEF
For more than 60 years, UNICEF has been the world’s leading international children’s organization, working in over 150 countries to address the ongoing issues that affect why kids are dying. UNICEF provides lifesaving nutrition, clean water, education, protection and emergency response saving more young lives than any other humanitarian organization in the world. While millions of children die every year of preventable causes like dehydration, upper respiratory infections and measles, UNICEF, with the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, has the global experience, resources and reach to give children the best hope of survival. For more information about UNICEF, please visit www.unicefusa.org.
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.
For additional information, please contact:
Marissa Buckanoff, U.S. Fund for UNICEF Media, 212.922.2485
