They have survived. But their suffering is far from over. "The children here have only food for two days" - a dramatic appeal by Michael Kuhn, who works for the World Hunger Relief in Port-au-Prince. "Parents are wandering about with their injured children in their arms in the streets, trying to get help. In vain! "
After the earthquake, the UNICEF director Regine sting house, "the second disaster threatens. We must do everything possible to protect the children. "
More than 50 percent of the people of Haiti are younger than 18 years. The children take the drama hardest.
EXPRESS explains why:
They have grown up in poverty: A Childhood in protection and security in Haiti was not on the agenda anyway. Even here in front of the quake, there was not enough food, often eat biscuits instead of bread with clay. They do a big hungry belly. Nothing else. Helga Kuhn of Unicef Germany: "Four out of ten children live in crowded huts with no clean water. 25 percent are undernourished. Eight out of 100 die before 5 Birthday. "
You need to have fear of diseases: in the streets of the earthquake zone corpses. People walk around with open wounds. The wounds and the blood is lethal. "The emaciated bodies of the children have no reserves, vulnerable to infections," said Helga Kuhn. Unserved are already small wounds in a deadly danger. Moreover, hardly a child has been vaccinated against diseases.
You have to drink too little, too: The quake has destroyed wells and water lines, often only remain in brackish puddles. Cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A can spread rapidly, to get respiratory infections. "Even a simple diarrhea, which would be in Germany is no problem that can kill an undernourished child," says Kuhn.
You have to fear violence: The misery comes the violence - which meets the children on the hardest. "Even under normal circumstances, they are exposed to extreme violence in Haiti. You have to rely that someone cares about them, protect them. But there is no one, "says the Unicef spokeswoman. As quickly as possible detention center should be established.
You have nothing to look forward to more: Almost all the schools around Port-au-Prince have been destroyed. In the camps, UNICEF will take place as soon Notunterricht. It will not go it comes to reading or arithmetic, says Kuhn. "The traumatized children in urgent need of a structure back in her life, a way into everyday life."
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