When emergencies strike, like the recent devastating floods in Libya, Therese Dooley, tells us how Unicef responds to protect vulnerable children at risk.
“When a million people are displaced in the morning, every one of them needs 20 litres of water that day. So where do you find 20 million litres of safe water … and how do you get it in?”
For over 30 years, Carlow woman Therese Dooley worked across more than 60 countries as one of Unicef’s leading water, sanitation, and hygiene (Wash) specialists. Recently retired to her hometown of Carlow, Therese reflects on her work during emergencies.
“The big emergencies that I worked on were the floods of Mozambique, the Haiti earthquake and the Rohingya refugee crisis. Unicef is the lead agency for water and sanitation in emergencies, which means it’s our job to make sure that everybody has access to clean water.
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When an emergency strikes, Unicef is ready to spring into action. We have very stringent plans in place, so we’re ready to take action rapidly. There’s no time to think about it emotionally. People’s lives are at stake. You put your business cap on and do your job of saving lives.
In the Turkey earthquake, we saw the collapsed buildings and the complete destruction of neighbourhoods. It was obvious to us all how people’s lives were seriously at risk. What was less obvious was that surviving the earthquake was only the start of many children’s fight for survival.
Did you know that 1,000 children under the age of five die every day from unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene facilities?
In emergencies - like the Turkey and Moroccan earthquakes or Libya floods, without access to clean water, children’s lives are in grave danger. In these situations, children often end up drinking water that is heavily infected with faeces and life-threatening diseases. Of course, that causes them to become sick with diarrhoea and vomiting, and for many their little bodies just can’t recover.
Because Unicef works in 190 countries in the world, when an emergency strikes, we can respond immediately. We have storage hubs in many countries with a stock of supplies that we can immediately send to those affected. Supplies like water purification tablets and hygiene kits, containing soap, that are truly lifesaving.”
Unicef has been saving the lives of children in emergencies for more than 70 years, and we will continue to do so for as long as we are needed. All of this is only possible if we have sufficient funds allowing us to purchase and preposition the stocks of supplies needed in the event of a humanitarian crisis. Children depend on us to save their lives in an emergency. And we depend on the generosity of the public. Thank you so much to anyone who has given a donation to UNICEF to help children in Turkey, Syria, Libya and elsewhere this year. Your gift has helped to save children’s lives. But did you know that you can also help save the lives of future generations of children when emergencies strike, by leaving a gift in your Will to Unicef?
To get your free GoodWill legacy information pack and learn how you can rewrite a child’s future through a life-saving gift in your Will, contact Pauline, Legacy Gifts Manager 01 878 3000 or visit: unicef.ie/legacy