Unicef to provide $28m in aid for RI children

Unicef to provide $28m in aid for RI children

PURWOKERTO, Central Java (JP): The United Nations Children's
Fund (Unicef) plans to provide a total of US$28 million this year
to help Indonesian children.

The Unicef representative for Indonesia and Malaysia,
Stephen J. Woodhouse, told journalists on Thursday that donor
countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Norway, Australia, Japan
and some world-renowned companies, had agreed to take part in the
aid program.

"(But) we have collected only about $13 million until now," he
said, adding that last year Unicef provided $25 million to deal
with malnutrition among children in Indonesia.

Woodhouse was in Purwokerto to attend a ceremony marking the
Indonesian-Unicef cooperation agreement.

Unicef will focus on children in West, Central and East Java,
West and East Nusa Tenggara, South Sulawesi, Maluku and Irian
Jaya.

"The eight provinces deserve the aid," he said.

The agreement covers five substantial programs: maternal and
early childhood care; basic education for all; children in need
of special protection; policy development and advocacy and
emergency support.

He said on Thursday that malnutrition levels among Indonesian
children were alarming, particularly since the economic crisis
hit the country in 1997.

Repeating his earlier statement, Woodhouse warned Indonesia of
the possibility of losing a generation of children if children's
health and education were not sufficiently tackled.

"About one-third of children under five years old, or almost
eight million children, are malnourished. This is very serious
and needs serious care from all Indonesians, including the
parents," he said.

Woodhouse criticized Indonesian fathers who always set aside
money to buy cigarettes, while their family faced financial
problems at the same time.

"The money for a pack of cigarettes could be used for eggs or
other healthy food for the children."(45/sur)