SCHOOLS in Huddersfield were today urged by children's charity Unicef to do their bit for the Asian disaster appeal.

The charity is rushing relief, including shelters, water and medical supplies, to the hardest-hit countries.

It has also launched an emergency appeal for $81m.

Unicef is not part of the Disasters Emergency Committee and will not receive any money from that appeal.

Unicef urgently needs to raise extra cash to help ensure that children's lives can be protected from the threat of disease after the tsunami floods.

In the longer term Unicef will remain to help rebuild schools and bring children back into the classroom, so they can begin to deal with the trauma they have suffered.

"Nothing will signal hope more clearly than rebuilding and reopening schools," said Louis Coles, Unicef's fundraising manager in this area.

"Being in a learning environment gives children something positive to focus on. It also enables the adults around them to go about the business of rebuilding with greater confidence."

Help provided by Unicef includes tents for temporary classrooms, "school in a box" kits containing classroom materials and resources for 80 pupils and their teacher and "recreation kits" of footballs, netballs, bibs, flags and whistles.

Just £97 will provide a school in a box and £127 will provide a recreation kit.

For information on how your school can help contact helpdesk@unicef.org.uk or ring 0870 606 3377.