UNICEF is providing life-saving relief to vulnerable children in flood-affected areas. —Photo courtesy of UNICEF

HÀ NỘI — In response to the devastating flooding in central Việt Nam, UNICEF is providing life-saving relief to vulnerable children and women in affected areas.

Regarding water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), UNICEF is working with the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to provide critical supplies, including water filters and soap; improve access to hygienic latrines and safe water, particularly in schools and health centres; and deliver life-saving messages on hygiene and safe water.

UNICEF, together with the National Institute of Nutrition and the Ministry of Health, is helping ensure children aged zero to five are screened for detection of severe acute malnutrition and receive timely treatment services and micro-nutrient supplementation.

The organisation is also supporting the provision of health and nutrition counselling for pregnant and lactating women and awareness-raising on nutrition for the affected population, considering both gender and diversity issues; and working with the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to provide psychosocial support for affected boys and girls through child protection specialists, local social workers, teachers and other front-line workers and is raising awareness on personal safety and protection from violence, abuse and injury.

Together with the Ministry of Education and Training, UNICEF is procuring emergency education supplies, including Early Childhood Development kits to replace damaged toys and learning materials in pre-schools of the most affected communes, paying attention to the needs of boys and girls, ethnic minorities and children with disabilities.

To date, UNICEF has mobilised US$2.6 million to address the urgent needs of the most vulnerable children, their families and communities in the most affected provinces. The mobilised funds come from multiple sources, including the government of Australia – $715,000, the government of New Zealand $99,000 and the UN Central Emergency Response Fund - $1.2 million.

UNICEF and the VDMA are currently in central Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Bình provinces to distribute detergent and ceramic water filters for vulnerable children and their families, as well as schools and health centres. — VNS