Bam Emergency Programme

Bam Emergency Programme

Child Protection

Child Protection

Education

Education

Water and Sanitation

Water and Sanitation

Health and Nutrition

Health and Nutrition

Child Friendly Cities

Child Friendly Cities

 

Bam Emergency Programme

© UNICEF Iran

The Bam earthquake in December 2003 was devastating for children and their families.

Early in the morning of 26 December 2003 a massive earthquake – measuring 6.7 on the Richter scale – struck the city of Bam in south-eastern Iran. The quake destroyed 80% of the city's infrastructure, leaving nearly 30,000 people dead, another 30,000 injured and nearly 75,000 homeless.

UNICEF came to the immediate assistance of the people of Bam, providing emergency supplies within hours of the disaster. The provisions included medicines and medical equipment, tarpaulins and blankets. Further supplies followed in the form of health supplies, hundreds of obstetric and surgical kits, water purification tablets to ensure a safe drinking supply, portable generators, tents, and school-in-a-box and recreation kits to re-establish normalcy in the lives of the devastated children as quickly as possible.