Impacts on Early Emotional Development
- Cynthia
- Oct 23, 2021
- 2 min read
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is a United Nations organization that supports and provides humanitarian and developmental aid to children all around the world. The organization is dedicated to providing excellent protection to the most vulnerable children, including those who have been victims of war, natural disasters, extreme poverty, all sorts of violence and exploitation, and those with disabilities (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 2021)
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti faces multiple crises, including growing political instability, civil unrest and gang related insecurity, deteriorating socio-economic conditions, rising food insecurity, malnutrition, the Haitian-Dominican migration dynamic, waterborne disease epidemics, and high vulnerability to natural hazards, all of which have been further exacerbated by COVID19, all which affect vulnerable children and their families (UNICEF Haiti, 2020).
Children in Haiti contend with withspread poverty, high inequalities and a high risk of natural hazards which makes it even harder to get food, healthcare and the education they need. In the aftermath of the 14 August Earthquake which destroyed or severely damaged 738 schools, children of Haiti study in every corner they can find (UNICEF Haiti, 2021).
Physical schools are a must but in moments of crisis, education can find new forms as in this UNICEF-supported psychosocial support center where children come daily to attend classes. For the time being education is everywhere, Children in makeshift centers receive their courses through the materials provided within the support of UNICEF. These makeshift centers are a place to make new friends, and to also get a sense of normalcy after the trauma they experienced.
UNICEF’s priority is to ensure that 100,000 children have access to quality education and early learning. It is also to support extremely vulnerable children to stay in school, including children with disabilities.
References
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). (2021 September 23). Education everywhere. https://www.unicef.org/haiti/recits/education-everywhere
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). (2020). Haiti. Humanitarian action for children. https://www.unicef.org/media/98381/file/2021-HAC-Haiti-May-Update.pdf
United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF).(2021). What we do. https://www.unicef.org/what-we-do
Hi Cynthia,
It just seems like Haiti just has been through so much. I like the fact that the people of Haiti is so fearless. They find ways to continue to receive their education, even if there is not a building for them to sit in. I also continue to be amazed by UNICEF and there supportive efforts. Thanks for sharing
Hi Cynthia, thank you so much for sharing this informative post. I found it very intriguing to find about their make shift schools dued to the distruction of school houses and buildings from the hurricane. I wonder what other means of temporairly locations are used for children and families who lost their homes due to distructions. I was also curious as to what peeked your interest in studying and looking up UNICEF work in Haiti? Thank you again for sharing.
Cynthia,
Thank you for sharing the impact that Haiti’s most recent earthquake and the political fight have had on their most prized possessions, their children. The children in Haiti are faced with trauma that not many adults have had to endure. UNICEF is providing positive and supportive relationships for the children, in the form of make-shift schools, so that the children have some form of normalcy and that education is a way to protect the future of their children (UNICEF, 2021).
Reference
UNICEF. (2021b, September). Education Everywhere. Www.unicef.org. https://www.unicef.org/haiti/recits/education-everywhere