What we do

Emergencies

Bantul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 8 June 2006

A boy sits outside his school, one of many damaged by an earthquake in Indonesia

Emergency situations are a fact of life for many children in our region. During emergencies, children’s health, security and well-being are compromised as families and communities are shattered and basic social infrastructure is destroyed. Temporary shelters often become permanent homes, where children have no access to education, health and other services.

Natural disasters. Our region is the world’s most affected by natural disasters. And they are expected to become even more frequent because of urbanization, population growth, deforestation and climate change.

Refugees. There are more than half a million refugees in our region. Many of them are children. Almost half of the refugees in Papua New Guinea and Thailand are children.

Internally displaced persons. More than 1 million people in our region are displaced within their own country. They represent the legacy of long-running conflicts and sectarian violence. Natural disasters and large-scale development projects also displace communities.

Other emergencies. Low-level insurgencies still persist in Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand. Public health emergencies, including a possible avian influenza pandemic, pose a serious threat.

One of UNICEF’s main missions is to fulfil the basic needs and fundamental rights of our region’s most vulnerable children, including survivors of natural disasters, refugee and internally displaced children, and children affected by armed conflict.

UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children identifies life-saving interventions and critical minimum basic services vital during the first several weeks of an emergency as well as longer-term activities that support sustainable reconstruction and development.

Report from Aceh and Nias, Indonesia. February 2007, April 2007

Español Français

Report