$102,000 Raised for UNICEF Tsunami Relief Appeal in Viet Nam
Hanoi, 3 February 2005: One hundred and two thousand US dollars has been raised by the Vietnamese community for UNICEF’s Tsunami Relief Appeal which has been running from 5 -31 January, UNICEF Viet Nam, announced in Hanoi today. “This is an overwhelmingly generous response by businesses, schools and individuals, from all over Viet Nam and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone,” said Mr Chrisian Salazar-Volkmann, acting UNICEF Representative in Viet Nam. “This is the first time that UNICEF has asked for donations from the private sector in Viet Nam to help children outside of the country and it has set an important example of solidarity and support for the estimated one million children affected by the Asian Tsunami.” UNICEF began its appeal for Tsunami Relief donations in early January, in response to many approaches by individuals and companies in Viet Nam who wanted to contribute to the relief effort. Over the past three weeks, companies, schools, community groups and individuals have been sending donations to UNICEF’s offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. More than USD 15,000 has been raised by the British International School in Ho Chi Minh City and USD 25,000 at the Tsunami Sunday Relief Brunch at the Melia Hotel in Hanoi on Sunday 30 January 2005.
The money raised will be used in four chief areas in the affected region: • Child Survival • Family Reunification • Protecting Children • Getting Schools Up and Running Globally, UNICEF has now received close to USD $300 million dollars from governments and private donors. As a result of this extraordinary fund-raising achievement, the Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms Carol Bellamy, has decided that any new fund-raising for the Tsunami appeal should now stop. While UNICEF continues to provide immediate relief in the tsunami zone, efforts will now be turned to the rehabilitation and recovery phase, to ensure that donations are used in the most effective way possible. “At this time of generosity and support for the Asian Tsunami victims, we must not forget, that there are many other crises around the world, affecting tens of millions of children. These children also need our help. We also look forward to continuing our partnership with the private sector to raise funds for the poor and disadvantaged children of Viet Nam,” added Mr Salazar-Volkmann. UNICEF has released its 2005 Humanitarian Action Report, where it is calling on USD 516 million for emergency relief in 30 countries. Some of the countries included in the appeal are Angola, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Liberia, Haiti, Ethiopia, Indonesia and Afghanistan. For further information, go to http://www.unicef.org/ For further information, please contact: Sue Spencer, Communication Section, UNICEF – tel: 942 5706 ext 210 or 0912 391053 sspencer@unicef.org Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, Communication Section, UNICEF – tel: 942 5706 ext 401
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