COVID-19: UNICEF Thailand launches urgent appeal to the public to help millions of children in need of critical hygiene and other supplies
UNICEF today launched a campaign “Help From Home” appealing to the Thai public for donations to help provide critical supplies including soaps to millions of children and families in Thailand and around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, UNICEF is now appealing for $1.6 billion, up from $651.6 million requested in a similar appeal late March, to meet growing needs of children impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
Watch 30-second spot https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSs6zVSFTSw
To donate: Type COVID and send SMS to 4712225 to donate 100 baht
The 30-second spot on COVID-19 appeal will be broadcasted on TV stations, social media channels, with a number of leading celebrities including Nichkhun Horvejkul, Pachara Chirathivat, Davika Hoorne – Friends of UNICEF – joining UNICEF to call for public support.
While handwashing with soap is one of the most important measures to curb the COVID transmission, millions of people still have no access to a place to wash their hands. Latest data from UNICEF and the World Health Organization indicated that only 3 in 5 people worldwide have basic handwashing facilities.
According to the latest estimates:
- 40 per cent of the world’s population, or 3 billion people, do not have a handwashing facility with water and soap at home. Nearly three quarters of the people in least developed countries lack basic handwashing facilities at home.
- 47 per cent of schools lacked a handwashing facility with water and soap affecting 900 million school-age children. Over one third of schools worldwide and half of schools in the least developed countries have no place for children to wash their hands at all.
- 16 per cent of healthcare facilities, or around 1 in 6, have no hygiene service, meaning they lack hand hygiene facilities where patients receive care, as well as soap and water at toilets.
Since the beginning of the outbreak, UNICEF has been distributing millions of pieces of vital supplies including hygiene kits, medical supplies and personal protection equipment to protect children and families as well as healthcare personnel around the world. In Thailand, some 150,000 soaps and hand sanitizers have been distributed to children living in poor communities, in street situation, welfare and protection centres, migrant learning centres, juvenile observation and protection centres and juvenile training centres across the country.
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Download 30-second spot (.mov, EN subtitle + poster)
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1o-zYUZdyOoSrK6syCFeOCQtB9u5EZwG3?usp=sharing
To help fight against COVID-19 pandemic
Donate via SMS: Type COVID and send SMS to 4712225 (100 baht per one SMS)
Donate online: https://www.unicef.or.th/soap
