Every Child Magazine No. 2 2013

No. 2, 2013 UNICEF’s Biggest Individual Donors Give Their All for Children Crisis in Syria Escalates Winning the Fight Against Tetanus 5 WAYS UNICEF IS CHANGING THE WORLD Welcome A Message From Peter & Caryl Board of Directors Dear Friend of UNICEF, first month of life. That’s almost half of all under-5 deaths in 2012. Honorary Co-Chairs News, Facts & Figures from UNICEF Simple solutions save children’s If we don’t accelerate our efforts, George H.W. Bush Jimmy Carter lives. That’s a lesson UNICEF as many as 35 million children William J. Clinton learned many years ago. Since could die from preventable causes Chair Emeritus 1990, 90 million children have between 2015 and 2028. We need Hugh Downs survived because they had access to redouble our efforts and deliver Chair to lifesaving help, according to a more of what we know works for Peter Lamm report released in September by children: vaccines, nutritional sup- Vice Chair UNICEF. Child mortality — the plements, safe water, sanitation, Vincent John Hemmer number of children under 5 who insecticide-treated mosquito nets, President and CEO die each day of things we can safe childbirth practices and good Caryl M. Stern largely prevent — has dropped quality care for pregnant women. Secretary nearly 50 percent, from almost And we must focus on the areas Nelson J. Chai 35,000 every day in 1990 to 18,000 where the need is greatest: sub- Treasurer today. Those are heartening num- Saharan Africa and South Asia, Edward G. Lloyd bers, but they’re not enough. The which together account for four Honorary Directors number of children who die from out of five under-5 deaths globally. Susan V. Berresford things we can prevent should be We won’t achieve any of this, James H. Carey ZERO. however, without determination Marvin J. Girouard Anthony Lake It can be. With new vaccines, and action. Stefan and Susan Fin- John C. Whitehead technology and programs, we can del, the inspiring couple featured Honorary Members finish the job we started. Right in this issue (see page 11) are Joy Greenhouse now, more than a million babies examples for us all. Thank you for Helen G. Jacobson Susan C. McKeever Three young Syrian die on the day they are born, and a standing with UNICEF and with children at the Domiz Lester Wunderman total of 2.9 million die within their the world’s children. refugee camp in Directors northern Iraq. Andrew D. Beer Daniel J. Brutto Nelson J. Chai Gary M. Cohen Mary Callahan Erdoes The World’s Worst Pamela Fiori Peter Lamm, Board Chair Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO Dolores Rice Gahan, D.O. Mindy Grossman Humanitarian Disaster Hilary Gumbel Vincent John Hemmer 4 million children, nearly half of Syria’s under-18 population, need immediate aid Franklin W. Hobbs Peter Lamm n June, Modar Sibai braved eight checkpoints to deliver and home to 4 million children who require immediate assis- Téa Leoni R his daughter to school. Normally, the trip takes ten min- tance. Quite literally, a whole generation is at risk. Since the Children’s Stories Bob Manoukian Dikembe Mutombo UCKE utes. But nothing is normal in Homs, Syria, where bloody beginning of the conflict, more than 7,000 children have died; In her moving new book, “I Believe in ZERO,” President and Iconflict has disrupted life for young and old alike. Sibai’s at least 1,700 were under 10 years old. Anthony Pantaleoni CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Caryl M. Stern offers memora- RMBR Henry S. Schleiff E journey took two hours and nerves of steel. But the stakes In Syria and in nearby refugee camps, UNICEF is doing ble stories from her travels around the world. Each of the stories H Caryl M. Stern C focuses on a particular place — Bangladesh, Mozambique, Haiti were high; his daughter Roua needed to take her final exams. everything it can to save lives and ease suffering — delivering Sherrie Rollins Westin — and weaves together material on the country and its history, If she did not, she told her father, the year would have been a clean water, vaccinating against killer diseases, providing safe recent humanitarian crises and encounters with ordinary people. total loss. spaces for education and recreation, restoring health centers Stern tells of mothers coming together to make their communi- Fifteen-year-old Roua Sibai remembers “normal life” and and advocating for regular access to children and mothers in ties better and of children who continue to hope and dream even in the most dire situations. “The book reflects the essence of hopes for its return. But for thousands of younger children, need. On the Cover: UNICEF’s mission,” says Stern. “I hope that by telling the stories Stefan and Susan Findel who’ve known little else, “normal life” is marked by fear and UNICEF has condemned the ongoing violence. Ted Chai- of the remarkable mothers and children I’ve met in my travels, I photographed by Flynn Larsen deprivation. ban, Director of Emergency Programs, has called on all parties can inspire others to support this important work.” in their home in Rhinebeck, N.Y. © UNICEF/UKLA2012-00836/S Syria is ground zero for the world’s most urgent emergency to acknowledge that “children have no place in war.” 1 U.S. Fund for UNICEF unicefusa.org EVERY CHILD No.2, 2013 2 NCY ERGE EM E UPDAT Every year, UNICEF responds to more than 250 emergencies, Big Strides from floods to conflict to drought. Here’s how UNICEF and its partners have responded in Battle to three of them: Iraq, along with Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC Against Tetanus Gabon and Sierra Leone, More than 2.3 million children are eliminated MNT in 2013. at risk from the country’s civil war. Many schools have been shut down Disease eliminated in more than India is one of 26 high-risk countries since a coup in March, and there are half of high-risk countries where tetanus severe shortages of nutritious food, remains a threat. clean water, medicine and health care. MNT has been UNICEF and its partners have treated eliminated in 18 more than 14,000 children with acute of India’s states, malnutrition and vaccinated more than H, H, including 3 this year. 217,000 children against measles. The ING security situation has slowed down etanus was killing 200,000 newborns each year when UNICEF vaccination programs, and there have made a commitment in 1999 to eliminate the disease among been measles outbreaks this year in D mothers and their babies. UNICEF convened a powerful nearly every region of the country. FIEL A2012-00556/S R international partnership to fight the disease in the countries D HAITI Twhere the risk was highest. UNICEF reported an important milestone this HEA People in Haiti are still reeling from year: more than half of 59 high-risk countries have successfully eliminated a series of natural disasters. The January 2010 earthquake killed more maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT). than 200,000 people and displaced M: © UNICEF/IN MNT is typically contracted through unhygienic childbirth practices. The Q2010-1126/ hundreds of thousands more; a sub- KEY YH key to its elimination is a three-step series of immunizations for women of sequent cholera epidemic killed more OTTO childbearing age. The vaccination program, which includes health educa- MNT eliminated B than 8,000. In November 2012, Hurri- in 2013 TO tion and worker training, costs just $1.80 per person, but when UNICEF cane Sandy destroyed homes, schools TOP © UNICEF/N and water and transportation systems and its partners launched the initiative, most global vaccination funding MNT eliminated since 1999 and ruined thousands of acres of was directed toward polio and other diseases. By focusing attention on crops, increasing food insecurity. In tetanus, UNICEF and its partners have helped protect 118 million women MNT eliminated 2013, due to drought and the impact prior to 1999 from contracting this easily preventable disease — as well as the new- of Hurricane Isaac, malnutrition rates MNT not borns these women will have. Tetanus deaths among newborns have soared. To address Haiti’s complex eliminated A pregnant SSELIN needs, UNICEF’s work includes thera- been reduced by more than 70 percent in just a decade. In all, 33 high-risk woman is peutic feeding for acutely malnour- countries have been designated MNT-free since 1999, with five of these vaccinated ished children; cholera treatment and successes occurring in 2013 alone: Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Iraq against tetanus vaccinations; HIV-prevention; water in Freetown, A2013-0817/A R and sanitation services; child protec- and Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone. The drive to defeat tetanus is central to UNICEF’s mission of “reaching tion and family unification assistance; and repair of damaged schools. the world’s poorest, most difficult to reach women and children,” says Caryl M. Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. MALI , © UNICEF/SL Mali’s political and security situation With 26 countries still at high risk from MNT, UNICEF is grateful to its ANI remains volatile since last year’s R partners who continue their commitment to fighting this disease. Kiwan- coup. The conflict, along with sea- OO is International, the medical technology company BD and the consumer sonal flooding and a nutrition crisis, products firm Procter & Gamble are among the biggest supporters. U.S. has disrupted the lives of more than Fund donors throughout the country are also joining the fight against tet- 800,000 children. As part of a Back-to- School initiative, UNICEF is working anus, and the Midwest Regional Office has launched a two-year campaign Q2003-0002/N YH to help 500,000 of the most vulnerable to raise $3 million for The Eliminate Project, the U.S.

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