Publication Date: 2020/01/09

An unprecedented disaster is unfolding across large parts of Australia. The most savage bushfires on record continue to wreak havoc and devastation for Australian families.

UNICEF Canada offers our sincere condolences to children and families affected by the unfolding crisis. We also acknowledge the selflessness, professionalism and dedication of the first responders, the Rural Fire Service, the Australian Red Cross and other organisations already working on the ground.

UNICEF Canada recognizes and shares the desire of many Canadians to assist people living in Australia in any way they can, both as the immediate threat continues to unfold and throughout the long process of recovery.

UNICEF Australia is working with government agencies and partner organizations to provide resources and expertise to ensure affected children have access to psychosocial support, are able to return to school as soon as possible and have their opinions and views shared with decision makers to provide their perspectives in shaping the immediate emergency response and longer-term planning.

Giving children a voice is a core UNICEF mandate, especially when it comes to our need to respond to climate change, which is threatening the futures of children in many parts of the world. Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity. More than 500 million children live in areas now facing extremely high risks of severe flooding while 160 million children live in areas with severe droughts.

At this time UNICEF Canada will not be opening a fund for the Australia crises but we will of course alert our donors and audiences if the situation changes. 

For people interested in helping UNICEF support children affected by climate change, we urge you to click the link in the banner and contribute to our Emergency Fund. Your donations provide a stable source of unrestricted funds that UNICEF can use to support the most vulnerable children, including those whose futures are threatened by climate change and to ensure they have a voice.

Remove this and add your HTML markup here.
Tags:

About UNICEF

UNICEF is the world’s leading humanitarian organization focused on children. We work in the most challenging areas to provide protection, healthcare and immunizations, education, safe water and sanitation and nutrition. As part of the United Nations, our unrivaled reach spans more than 190 countries and territories, ensuring we are on the ground to help the most disadvantaged children. While part of the UN system, UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations to finance our life-saving work. Please visit unicef.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

For further information please contact:

Media@unicef.ca