GENEVA / HORN OF AFRICA

UNICEF appeals to airlines to help carry thousands of tonnes of vital food supplies, either free of charge or at a reduced rate, to starving children in the Horn of Africa. UNICEF

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:34
• Production Date: 2 August 2011
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND - UNICEF
• Subject Topical: HUMANITARIAN RELIEF; REFUGEES; DISPLACED PERSONS; DISASTER PREVENTION; DISASTER PREPAREDNESS; DISASTER RELIEF
• Geographic Subject: SOMALIA
• MAMS Id: U110802b

Description

STORY: GENEVA / HORN OF AFRICA
TRT: 1.34
SOURCE: CH UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 2 AUGUST 2011, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Shotlist

RECENT, PALAIS DES NATIONS, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1. Wide shot, Palais des Nations

2 AUGUST 2011, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2. Wide shot, Press Room
3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Marixie Mercadi, Spokesperson, UNICEF: "The funding situation is dire for the Horn of Africa. UNICEF has a funding gap of over 200 million dollars out of a 314 million dollar appeal."
4. Cutaway, journalist
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Marixie Mercadi, Spokesperson, UNICEF:
"A cargo jumbo for instance costs about 350000 dollars to transport 100 metric tonnes of therapeutic food from France to Nairobi. That cost is pretty much equivalent to the cost of the cargo itself. The other alternative is via sea and we are setting up a pipeline for doing this but we have a six week gap which means we need to transport 400 metric tonnes per week via air. Over the last week British Airways, Lufthansa, UPS and Virgin have come forward with offers to transfer between 15 and 50 metric tonnes per week for a limited period."
6. Cutaway, journalist
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Marixie Mercadi, Spokesperson, UNICEF:
"There are over 2.3 million acutely malnourished children in the Horn of Africa. More than half a million will die if they do not get help within weeks. With therapeutic feeding a child can recuperate in a matter of 4 to 6 weeks. We are appealing to the airline industry for free or heavily discounted airline cargo space to transport this therapeutic food to children who will die without it."
8. Cutaway, Press Room

Storyline

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, is appealing to airlines to help carry thousands of tonnes of vital food supplies, either free of charge or at a reduced rate, to starving children in the Horn of Africa.

British Airways, Lufthansa and Virgin have agreed already to help take emergency food aid to the drought stricken region.

UNICEF says that its funding situation for the Horn of Africa crisis is dire. The Children’s Fund still needs to raise more than 200 million dollars out of a 314 million dollar appeal.

But, in spite of this lack of funding, emergency food supplies are available. UNICEF spokesperson, Marixie Mercado, said the problem was getting them to where they’re needed the most.

"Every month we have about 5,000 metric tonnes of therapeutic and supplementary food in warehouses in Belgium, France and Italy. This is enough therapeutic and supplementary food to treat 300,000 malnourished children and we need to get this to Nairobi as quickly as possible. This means bringing it by air which is extremely costly," she added.

It costs around 350,000 dollars to carry 100 tonnes of emergency food aid from Europe to Nairobi, about as much as the cost of the cargo itself. UNICEF is calling on airlines to help them cut their transport costs.