UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Published purpose

On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale rocked Port-au-Prince, the capital of the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti. It is estimated that up to 3,000,000 people have been affected by the disaster, either through injury or through loss of access to life-sustaining necessities such as food, water, sanitation services, and shelter. With Canada's support, UNICEF is providing humanitarian assistance through interventions in the areas of health, nutrition, protection, and water and sanitation. UNICEF is providing essential health services for women and children, with a focus on maternal and reproductive health, and is distributing medical relief supplies. UNICEF is providing access to adequate food for pregnant women and children, as well as nutritional care, in an effort to reduce the risk of malnutrition for women and children under five. UNICEF is working to identify and care for unaccompanied children and to attempt to reunite them with their families, while at the same time working to protect children and women from violence, exploitation, and abuse. Finally, UNICEF is providing access to safe water and sanitation facilities to the affected communities.