Ministry of Emergencies and UNICEF join forces
Working together to support families with children during humanitarian challenges
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On February 28, the Ministry of Emergencies of the Republic of Belarus and UNICEF Belarus signed a Memorandum of Understanding to make their multi-year partnership even more productive. A new dimension will be added to the joint efforts of the Ministry and UNICEF on child injury prevention: prevention and response to emergencies in Belarus. On February 27, UNICEF donated over 15 types of items, equipment and rescue harness to the Ministry of Emergencies to strengthen the capacity of Belarus to prepare and respond to emergencies in the country.
The Ministry of Emergencies and UNICEF plan to work together in such scopes as preventing the death of children in fires; capacity building of professional from the Ministry of Emergencies (to outreach the residents of Belarus on emergencies’ prevention); strengthening the physical infrastructure of the Safety Centers under the Ministry of Emergencies (for teaching children); strengthening the physical infrastructure of the Ministry of Emergencies Situations (to ensure preparedness and response to emergencies), etc.
“For UNICEF in Belarus, preparing for and responding to emergencies is a priority area of operations. Therefore, we are glad that we can now enlist the support of a key agency coordinating this work in the country. Timely preparation helps respond to humanitarian challenges more effectively. It is important for UNICEF that the basic needs of families with children are met, that children are in a safe and friendly environment, that children are not separated from their families, that they have access to healthcare and education,” stressed UNICEF Belarus.
Equipment supplies to Temporary Refugee Accommodation Centers is part of the preparation and response to emergencies (capacity building). Thus, UNICEF Belarus has handed over a modular all-weather tent, a heat gun, an electric generator, folding beds, warm blankets and sleeping bags, cribs, a mobile sanitary and hygienic unit, first aid kits, etc. to the Ministry of Emergencies. The equipment will be stored in the Gomel region, but it will be moved to other regions as needed.
The Ministry of Emergencies and UNICEF Belarus have been cooperating for many years to prevent deaths and injuries of children. This cooperation has been implemented through joint advertising, social videos, awareness raising materials for children and parents, teaching aids for teachers, procurement and transfer of high-tech equipment and software from UNICEF Belarus to the Novopolotsk Safety Center under the Ministry of Emergencies. In addition, employees of the Ministry of Emergencies helped delivering oxygen concentrators to hospitals, which had been procured by UNICEF during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Given the experience of the past few years, it is very important for Belarus to be ready to host and accommodate refugees and migrants. Therefore, to ensure this, one of the main tasks in cooperation between the Ministry of Emergencies and UNICEF is to strengthen the physical infrastructure of the Ministry of Emergencies.
