Today's Date:

Announcement of a French contribution - Letter from Philippe Douste-Blazy, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to Ann Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF

Paris, November 5, 2005

In the wake of the terrible earthquake which struck Pakistan and India on 8 October, killing tens of thousands of people, I want to inform you personally, following France’s announcement at the Pakistan donors’ conference in Geneva, of a €2.5 million contribution to the United Nations Children’s Fund. In addition to this, a private French company has donated vaccines (2 million doses of tetanus vaccines and 1 million doses of measles vaccines) which were delivered on 2 November to your teams and the NGOs with which UNICEF is working on the ground.

This initiative complements the emergency medical assistance France has been providing bilaterally since 8 October. It demonstrates our huge appreciation of UNICEF’s remarkable work in the management of urgent crises.

I am happy that France’s aid can benefit several million children who urgently need to be vaccinated against tetanus and measles in the stricken areas.

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