Around 80,000 people have been killed across Asia and east Africa in the stongest earthquake to hit the planet in 40 years. The toll includes.

Indonesia: 45,268
Sri Lanka: 22,493
India: 6,974
Thailand: 1,829
Somalia: 100
Burma: 90
Maldives: 67
Malaysia: 65
Tanzania: 10
Seychelles: 3
Bangladesh: 2
Kenya: 1

Now the survivors, already shattered by grief and loss, face disease, hunger and homelessness. The UN estimates 5 million people now face this situation. Relief aid has been pledged by international governments, this needs to be actioned as a matter of the utmost urgency. 

UNICEF's immediate concern is to ensure that children stay alive. UNICEF has been working in emergency situations on every scale for over 50 years. The following are the key issues we need to address in the current disaster.

Safe drinking water:  Where flooding was the worst local water supplies are contaminated and damaged.  Without safe water, people will start drinking from unclean sources, and that will lead to disease.  Children are particularly vulnerable to water-borne diseases. UNICEF is providing water purification tablets and chlorine powder to help make water safe, and water tanks for communities to use.

Preventing spread of diseases:   We know from our experience that diseases   spread very quickly in emergency situations. There are still large stagnant ponds of water which are contaminated with animal and human remains.  This, coupled with the unsanitary conditions many are facing, provides a breeding ground for disease.  Provision of oral rehydration salts helps combat diarrhoeal dehydration, a condition which can easily kill small children.

Malnutrition:  Unsafe water leads to increases in malnutrition as children get sick and are unable to eat. In addition, there is a shortage of foodstuffs in many places.  UNICEF is providing nutritional support to children in the form of things like high protein biscuits, which contain a balance of vitamins, minerals and protein to help sustain malnourished children.

Children separated from their families:  UNICEF has had reports from the hardest-hit countries of hundreds of children separated from their families amidst the chaos of the sudden floods. UNICEF is working with governments and other relief agencies to ensure a system of identifying separated children and relocating their families and communities.

Landmines (Sri Lanka): Landmines are posing a new risk to Sri Lankans and to relief efforts.  Mines were floated by the floods and washed out of known mine fields. The warning signs on mined areas have been swept away or destroyed. The greatest danger to civilians will come when they begin to return to their homes, not knowing where the mines are. Children are particularly vulnerable; many landmines can look like children’s toys and are therefore attractive to children. Being smaller, they tend to suffer more if a landmine does explode.

UNICEF’s RELIEF EFFORT:
Supplies already delivered to region:
• More than 30,000 blankets and sleeping mats as well as t-shirts and other articles of clothing from local emergency stocks

Three planes of supplies en route to Colombo and Jakarta with over 60 tonnes of supplies, including:
• 150,000 oral rehydration salts for sick children
• Medical supplies sufficient to serve 150,000 people for three months
• Shelter equipment such as tarpaulin, tents, blankets and other urgent relief efforts.
• 100 school-in-a box kits
• 90 recreational kits for children.

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For further information, contact the UNICEF UK Media Office on 0207 430 0162 or media@unicef.org.uk