UNICEF actions
The focus of UNICEF's work in tsunami-affected areas has moved from emergency relief to recovery. Our goal is to "build back better". This means more than just repairing damaged infrastructure and restoring services. Our goal is to provide people with an improved standard of living, thus offering new hope and a brighter future to children who have suffered so much. This is particularly true for the children of migrants and ethnic minorities, many of whom had lived in abject poverty before the tsunami focused world attention on their plight. In order to achieve this, we are accelerating our regular development programmes in tsunami-affected areas. On issues ranging from child protection to HIV/AIDS to educational access and quality, we have dedicated additional funds and staff to guarantee concrete results for children as quickly as possible. We have already completed a comprehensive analysis of the dangers being faced by children in the wake of the tsunami. To protect the most vulnerable, including some 1,200 orphans, UNICEF is training social workers from governmental and local organizations on how to identify signs of psychosocial distress, abuse, neglect and exploitation, and to report cases to government agencies when necessary. At the same time, UNICEF field staff regularly visit affected families, monitor the situation of vulnerable children and assist local authorities in responding to their needs.
To make sure that children are able to stay in school - or begin schooling for the first time in the case of many minority and migrant children-UNICEF has funded repairs to damaged buildings, installed piped water systems, improved sanitation and provided sports and other equipment. To help children recover psychologically, we have funded counselling for more than 1,000 children and have provided psychosocial training for teachers and fieldworkers. We have also supported school- and community-based art and recreation activities. In the area of HIV/AIDS, we are working with religious leaders to identify needs in the community, provide psychosocial support and reduce stigma. We are also helping young people to get involved in community rehabilitation and are working with youth networks -particularly among Muslim groups- to identify and address issues of concern to youth. UNICEF also plays a role in coordinating the work of government and NGOs, and has drawn up an inventory of who is doing what in the six affected provinces to identify gaps and duplication in the provision of services, such as educational scholarships, child care centres, home visits and psychosocial activities.
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