Britain's Prince Harry speaks with UNICEF personnel Caroline Graham, center, and Alison Tilbe as they explain the contents of different emergency supply boxes, during Prince Harry's tour of the UNICEF offices in New York, Saturday, June 26, 2010. Prince Harry is on the second day of a three-day visit to New York. (AP Photo/Lucas Jackson, Po
Yesterday, June 26, Prince Harry visited the UNICEF Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) in New York to learn about the organization's response to worldwide crises. Staff briefed him on how they used mapping technology, including Google Earth, to respond to crises and monitor disaster hot spots.
Prince Harry spoke with Emergency Officer Jude Toda, who demonstrated how they were using technology to see where the most help was needed in Haiti. Prince Harry had previously said that he wanted to visit Haiti himself, but was persuaded to stay until the situation had settled down and rebuilding had started.
Paul Fiszman, deputy manager of the Operations Center, demonstrated the monitoring of hot spots such as Sudan and Kyrgyzstan. "Any of these could change at any point," the Prince remarked.
Prince Harry was there to learn how technology could be used in disaster relief, as well as to understand how emergencies affected children. He is patron of the charity Map Action, so the visit to UNICEF built on his understanding of what emergency organizations do.
Staff also showed Prince Harry the various emergency kits that UNICEF sends out to help children in a crisis. These included "School in a Box" which supplies 40 children an education in the midst of a disaster. Hilsw Johnson, Deputy Exective Director of the organization, explained that UNICEF helps children in over 200 emergencies every year. It works with partners to save their lives and support children in other ways, protecting them from abuse, disease and starvation and providing shelter.
“In all emergencies, it is children that are the hardest hit,” said Ms. Johnson. “In sudden natural disasters or conflict, they are the most vulnerable."
Prince Harry was on the second day of his New York area tour.
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