What Would Kettle Do?

Dear John,

I’m sending you photos taken this past Saturday at the Foyer L’escale Orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. What you see here is what’s happening all over Haiti. Because of your rapid, decisive response to our appeals, thousands of children are alive today.

Look into their faces. Full of life and hope for a better tomorrow:

© UNICEF/2010/Tidey

UNICEF staff pouring safe drinking water for children.

© UNICEF/2010/Tidey

Children at the Foyer L’escale Orphanage.

They are alive today because UNICEF was there: distributing clean water, providing shelter, protecting children from abuse and exploitation.

This week alone, UNICEF:

• Launched a campaign to immunize 500,000 children against measles, diphtheria, and tetanus;
• Provided clean drinking water to over a half a million people daily;
• Installed latrines, bringing the total of new sanitation facilities to 750; and
• Delivered personal kits to 50,000 children without parental care.

We are now preparing to face the serious risks and challenges that lie before us in the weeks ahead. And with 40% of the Haitian population under the age of 14, this is a children’s emergency. These children need to be found, fed, and kept safe from abuse and exploitation.

But just for today, I wanted to show you the very real impact you’re having on the children of Haiti.

From all of us at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, thank you.

Caryl M. Stern President & CEO U.S. Fund for UNICEF