UNITED NATIONS, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The United Nations called on Tuesday for action around the world to build safer schools after natural disasters killed thousands of children from China to Haiti in 2008 because of poor construction.
The worst episode was in China where thousands of children are estimated to be among 80,000 people who died when a devastating earthquake hit Sichuan province on May 12.
More than 12,000 schools were damaged in Sichuan province and another 6,500 in neighboring Gansu province, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said in a statement.
Parents alleged that corruption and mismanagement were behind the shoddy construction of schools that collapsed. The Chinese government is rebuilding fast.
In Myanmar, hit by a cyclone on May 3, more than 4,000 schools still need to be repaired or rebuilt, UNICEF said. In Pakistan, an earthquake on Oct. 29 damaged more than 400 schools in Baluchistan, affecting more than 30,000 children.
More than 90 children and teachers died in Haiti on Nov. 7 when their school collapsed because of poor infrastructure, UNICEF said. Hurricanes and tropical storms damaged nearly 1,000 Haitian schools in August and September.
"Whether caused by poor construction or natural catastrophes, school collapses invariably have disastrous effects on children," said UNICEF education chief Cream Wright. "Schools must be safe places where children can learn and thrive."
Schools were unlikely to topple as a result of natural disasters strike if they had a strong structural design, their construction was closely monitored and they underwent regular maintenance, UNICEF said.
"Safe schools don't just save children's lives," Wright said. "They can also serve as temporary shelters for communities in times of disasters." (Reporting by Patrick Worsnip; editing by David Wiessler)
A veiled Kashmiri woman voter waits to cast her vote outside a polling station during the seventh and last phase of local elections in Srinagar December 24, 2008. Thousands of Indian ...
