In Northern Cebu UNICEF to help 13 towns hit by Yolanda

CEBU, Philippines - The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) recently concluded a two-day conference in Cebu on priority typhoon Yolanda emergency plan with a wide range of local government and humanitarian partners.

Two of the 13 severely-hit towns and city in Northern Cebu, were chosen by UNICEF as a priority areas that will receive assistance from the organization.

Aside from Cebu’s two towns (Bantayan and Daanbantayan), UNICEF will also assist 38 other towns and cities that were in the path of the typhoon.

“But this does not mean that we will not be helping the other areas. We will also help,” said Zafrin Chowdhury, UNICEF chief of communication and private fund raising.

In a separate statement, UNICEF said that while the Philippine government’s assistance focuses largely on resettlement, infrastructure, livelihood and social development, UNICEF’s Strategic Response Plan complements it by focusing on priority humanitarian needs with special focus on children and by supporting communities to navigate the transitions to early recovery.

Chowdhury said that UNICEF’s assistance will focus on the children’s health, water and sanitation, nutrition, protection and education.

During the two-day conference, 37 out of 40 mayors signed an individual Memorandum of Understanding with UNICEF to formalize the agency’s assistance and the modalities of working together through the recovery phase.

The conference concluded on positive notes by the mayors to work with UNICEF and to support vulnerable children and families through the recovery phase.

The implementation of the UNICEF’s assistance will start as soon as possible and will continue for the next 12 to 18 months, said Chowdhury.

The statement added, since the beginning of the typhoon Yolanda response, UNICEF has been delivering key interventions and supplies in health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene, education and child protection by working with a range of partners.

“Working through the existing and new partnership, UNICEF is scaling up its interventions to reach children and population most in need,” the statement added.  (FREEMAN)