To help victims of the violent earthquake that shook South Asia on the morning of 8 October, UNICEF began rushing supplies and relief teams to the affected area within hours of the disaster.
The damage was devastating. The quake struck at 9 a.m. Schools were already full of children; many collapsed. Tens of thousands of people were killed outright, and tens of thousands more – including children – were severely injured. Homes, medical centres and mosques in hundreds of communities were destroyed.
The worst of the tragedy is that children make up half the population of the affected area and represent a large proportion of the victims.
UNICEF is working around the clock to bring the necessary help to the region’s children. We’ve provided logistics and supplies for the surgical teams treating victims on the front lines of the disaster, in the most remote areas. And at hospitals throughout the region, we’re working with partners to treat the thousands of survivors who have been arriving daily for medical care.
Our immediate priority is to provide children with the means to survive, and to provide medical treatment to the injured who so desperately need it.
In addition, we’re moving more staff and supplies into Pakistan and other areas, and sending assessment teams into outlying areas as part of the UN’s effort to establish the extent of the disaster.
But the search and rescue operations and the provision of medical care are only the beginning.
Their homes destroyed, thousands of children have no place to live. Providing them with tents, blankets, food, and warm clothing is critical as the night time temperatures plummet. And UNICEF is focusing on reuniting children with their families, and providing support to children who have been orphaned by this terrible disaster.
And already we are working to restore the civic infrastructure and educational facilities for the communities affected by the disaster.
The help cannot arrive soon enough. But thanks to your continued support of UNICEF, help is arriving as quickly as possible.
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