真實個案 Real Lives

防疫注射 Immunization

地點：緬甸緬甸拉普塔鎮 日期：2008年5月20日 Location: Laputta Township, Myanmar Date taken: 20 May 2008 Taken by: UNICEF Myanmar/2008

在熱帶風暴納爾吉斯巨浪的撞擊下，拉普塔鎮的大部分地區被毀滅了，鎮裡的居民奮力應對隨之而來的悲劇。

聯合國兒童基金會已經在拉普塔鎮開展了麻疹疫苗接種運動，同時，聯合國副秘書長詹姆斯‧霍姆斯會見了緬甸軍政府的領導人，商討如何改善救災工作。本週聯合國秘書長潘基文將對該地區進行訪問。

食品和藥品正提供給熱帶風暴的倖存者，但仍無法滿足巨大的需求。據聯合國估計，70%受風暴影響的災民還沒有收到食品援助。

很多人在露天睡覺，沒有寢具，無法預防惡劣天氣。衛生間已被提供，但仍還需要更多的衛生間。水源已被洪水污染。

官方估計災難中有近77,740人死亡，近56,000人失蹤。估計約250萬人受到熱帶風暴的影響。

聯合國兒童基金會估計1百萬兒童可能需要緊急援助。致命疾病爆發的擔心與日俱增。

倖存者聚集的營地處於無序狀態，缺乏良好的衛生條件。再加上食品短缺，人們愈加關注兒童健康，在這種情況下麻疹等傳染病可能成為巨大的殺手。

已經有約30％鄉鎮的兒童患有腹瀉或痢疾。

「我唯一最大的擔心就是大範圍的麻疹爆發，尤其是在這些營地。」聯合國兒童基金會健康主任彼德‧薩拉馬博士說。

在拉普塔鎮，聯合國兒童基金會已為近1000名年齡在9個月到5歲的兒童進行了麻疹疫苗接種。醫療工作者為孩子的母親注射了破傷風針。

這只是70項評估中的一項，分發基本用品和全力遏止可預防性疾病爆發等救援任務，在被風暴蹂躪的伊洛瓦底全面開展。

The rush to provide relief to the victims of Cyclone Nargis continues. The United Nations now estimates that as many as 2.5 million people have been severely affected by the cyclone and its aftermath. Forty per cent of those affected are children.

In Laputta Township, around 30 per cent of children under five are suffering from diarrhoea or dysentery, and UNICEF has began a measles vaccination campaign throughout the region.

On Monday, UN Under-Secretary General James Holmes met with leaders of Myanmar’s military government to discuss ways to improve relief efforts. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will also visit the region this week.

Food and medicine are getting through to cyclone survivors, but not nearly enough to meet the enormous need. The UN estimates that 70 per cent of those affected by the storm have not received food aid.

Many people are sleeping outdoors with no bedding and no protection from the weather. Latrines have been shipped in, but more are needed. Water sources have been contaminated by flooding.

The official death toll from the disaster has been estimated at approximately 77,740 with nearly 56,000 missing. About 2.5 million people are estimated to have been affected by the cyclone.

UNICEF estimates that 1 million children may be in need of immediate assistance. Fear of an outbreak of deadly disease grows by the day.

The camps where survivors have gathered are disorganized and lack good sanitation. This, coupled with the shortage of food, raises grave concerns about children’s health; diseases like measles can become major killers in such situations.

Already, about 30 per cent of the children in the township are suffering from diarrhoea or dysentery.

“My greatest single fear is a very large measles outbreak, especially in some of these camps,” said UNICEF Chief of Health Dr. Peter Salama.

In Laputta Township, UNICEF has vaccinated about 1,000 children between the ages of nine months and five years against measles. Health workers are giving the children’s mothers tetanus shots.

The workers comprise just one of 70 assessment and relief missions that are travelling throughout the storm-ravaged Irrawaddy Delta, distributing essential supplies and working to stem an outbreak of preventable disease.