86 tons of UNICEF medical supplies land in Sichuan

BEIJING, 30 May 2008 – A UNICEF emergency relief shipment containing 86 tons of health and nutritional supplies for children and pregnant women arrived in Sichuan on Friday May 30. The shipment of "emergency health kits" consisting of basic medicines and equipment, nutritional supplements and obstetric supplies arrived by air from the UNICEF global warehouse in Denmark.

From the capital city Chengdu, the goods have been transported to the thirteen counties worst hit by the May 12 earthquake, including the epicentre Wenchuan, Li Xian, Mao Xian, Heishui, Beichuan, Anxian, Pingwu, Jiangyou, Mianzhu, Shifang, Qingchuan, Du Jiangyan and Chongzhou.

The supplies will provide support for the basic health needs of 1.4 million people over three months and for the safe handling of up to 2,000 complicated deliveries. UNICEF worked closely with national and local authorities to coordinate the massive shipment.

This first of several health related consignments to be shipped in by air by UNICEF included 140 emergency health kits covering the needs of a population of 10,000 people, 80 neonatal resuscitation kits, 80 sterilization kits and special nutritional supplements for 110,000 children under five and 42,000 pregnant women.

Children who have been relocated in temporary camps and shelters are at higher risk of common diseases such as diarrhoea and respiratory infections which can cause serious problems in young children.

Dr. Yin Yin Nwe, UNICEF Representative and UN Disaster Management Team Chair said: "We are very pleased to see our first shipment of health kits and nutritional supplements reaching Sichuan. These supplies will go to the worst hit counties to help with both the emergency related and routine health problems in these areas. The nutritional supplements will help children and pregnant women stay healthy and resist infections."