100 babies born every day in areas worst hit by Ecuador quake: UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Monday reported that on average, up to 100 babies are born every day in Esmeraldas and Manabí, the provinces worst hit by the Ecuador earthquake.

"In a region where one in five children suffers from diarrhoea and chronic malnutrition, it is essential to provide these babies with the basic needs to survive and thrive," Grant Leaity, the UNICEF representative in Ecuador, said in a press release.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake, which hit the country on April 16, killed 660 people, destroyed water systems and affected 33 health centers, half of which are not operational. The tremor also damaged or destroyed some 560 schools and close to 10,000 buildings.

According to UNICEF, an immediate response led by the government is allowing 75 percent of children to return to school and providing an integrated response to over 30,000 people living in official shelters, including basic assistance, medical and psychological support.

With help from UNICEF, access to safe water was restored in Jama and Pedernales, the two worst hit towns by the earthquake.

However, one month on, thousands more people are staying in informal shelters which lack basic services, and 120,000 children are in urgent need of temporary educational spaces.

UNICEF announced it is working with the government and other partners to assist the most vulnerable populations by undertaking the following actions:

-- With the Ministry of Education, installing temporary learning spaces for 20,000 children and distributing 750 school-in-a-box kits to benefit 60,000 children. The first temporary learning spaces are already open in Pedernales and Jama with capacity to receive 5,600 children, and additional spaces are now being installed in Pedernales, Jama, Matal, Chorerra and Muisne.

-- With the National Water Authority and local municipalities, setting up water and sanitation services in shelters for displaced persons and temporary schools, and providing safe water and hygiene services in areas where the water grid has been damaged.

-- With the Ministry of Social Inclusion, providing psychosocial support and promoting sports and cultural activities for children and adolescents to contribute to their emotional recovery.

-- Supporting the Ministry of Health to establish protocols for acute malnutrition screening; develop community messaging for the prevention of vector-borne diseases such as Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya; provide micronutrients and vitamin A for nutrition, zinc and oral rehydration salts for diarrhoea; provide tents to replace damaged health facilities; and provide temporary health posts close to shelters. Baby friendly spaces will also be set up in Pedernales, Jama and Muise.

However, UNICEF warned that funding for this assistance remains extremely low. The agency alone will need 15 million U.S. dollars to meet the needs of 250,000 children until mid-July. So far, it has received only 15 percent of this amount.

"If the donor community does not step up its support, we will be failing thousands of children," Grant said.

In related news reports on Monday, Stephen O'Brien, the UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, said that one month since the earthquake, hundreds of thousands of people remain affected.

"When I visited the affected region three days after the earthquake, I met people who had lost family members, seen their homes flattened or suffered horrific injuries," O'Brien said in a press release. "One month on, their needs are still acute and these communities are still struggling to get back to normal daily life."

"Government recovery programmes are beginning but will take time to reach everyone. Some people will need assistance for a very long time. However, I am optimistic that the strong spirit of resilience I saw will help them get through this," he added. Enditem