Unicef Ambassador Clay Aiken in Chiapas Mexico

CHIAPAS, Mexico, December 25, 2007: UNICEF Ambassador Clay Aiken celebrated Christmas at a flood shelter with the children of Ostuacan, Chiapas. In one weekend last month torrential rains in produced the worst flooding the region has seen in more than 50 years. More than one million residents from Chiapas and the adjoining state of Tabasco have been affected, one third of which are children. (PRNewsFoto/U.S. Fund for UNICEF)

CHIAPAS MEXICO

Clay Aiken & Family Celebrate Christmas With Survivors of Mexico's Floods

CHIAPAS, Mexico, Dec. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- UNICEF Ambassador andcritically acclaimed recording artist Clay Aiken today wrapped up the firstleg of his trip to the flood affected areas of southeast Mexico byparticipating in a gift exchange and "sing along" with over 300 childrenand their families at a camp erected for flood victims.

Aiken, who is traveling in the region with his mother and youngerbrother, a Marine on leave from Iraq, will also be part of a UNICEFdelegation scheduled to visit the state of Tabasco over the next two days. "The situation in Chiapas and Tabasco has really become a forgottenemergency," said the U.S. pop star who became an ambassador for thechildren's agency in 2004. "Telling the story of these brave people,especially the children, to a U.S. audience is the reason that I am here.Sharing this experience with my family during this time of year makes iteven more special." In one weekend last month torrential rains in Tabasco and Chiapasproduced the worst flooding the region has seen in more than 50 years. Morethan one million residents of the two states have been affected, one thirdof which are children. While an integrated humanitarian response lead by government and U.N.agencies has stabilized the emergency in Mexico, thousands remain homelessand displaced. According to UNICEF officials in the region, children arethe most vulnerable in these situations. Hundreds of them are at risk ofpsychological trauma and many more are out of school due to extensivestructural damage to school buildings. Today's event, also attended by Hon. Isabel Aguilera de Sabines, FirstLady of the state of Chiapas, was held in the city of Ostuacan where 19deaths were recently reported after a series of mudslides engulfed thesmall mountain community of Juan de Grijalva and the search for six missingresidents is ongoing. Chiapas is bordered on the north by the state of Tabasco, on the southby the Pacific Ocean, on the east by the Central American nation ofGuatemala and on the west by the states of Oaxaca and Veracruz. Chiapas has111 municipalities. Its capital, Tuxtla Gutierrez, lies near the center ofthe state. Tabasco is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Mexico, to thesouth by the state of Chiapas, to the east by Guatemala and Campeche and tothe west by Veracruz. Villahermosa is Tabasco's capital city.

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