Who: Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, UNICEF
What: Travels to Malawi and Zambia to focus
on the humanitarian crisis which has put more than 6
million children at risk, in southern Africa. Millions
of people are living on the very edge of survival as
the region struggles with drought and massive harvest
failures. Ms. Bellamy's trip will highlight what is
being done, and what has yet to be done, to save the
lives of millions of children today and to invest in
the lives of millions more children in the coming years.
Where:
Malawi - from Sunday August 18th to Tuesday August 20th
Kenya -- from Wednesday Aug. 21st to Saturday Aug. 24th
Zambia - from Sunday August 25th to Tuesday August 27th
South Africa - from Thursday Aug. 29th to September
2nd
Background: As world leaders and thousands of
delegates gather to discuss key issues at the World
Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, a
humanitarian crisis is unfolding in six countries neighbouring
South Africa. The lives of more than six million children
are at immediate risk in Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland,
Zimbabwe and Mozambique due to a crippling combination
of drought, hunger, illness and HIV/AIDS.
Ms. Bellamy's visits to the region and at the summit
will underline the urgent and immediate needs of millions
of children today. Her trip will also focus on why investing
in children is a key to sustainable development and
how investing in children is among the most farsighted
decisions world leaders can make to assure sustainable
development.
