Typhoon Haiyan also a children’s emergency

Typhoon Haiyan also a children’s emergency

15 November 2013

As Save the Children empties warehouses from around the world for emergency aid to the Philippines, its New Zealand Chief Executive, Heather Hayden, said today that children and young people are always at special risk from disasters of this scale.

3.9 million children have been affected by the typhoon. Up to 7,000 schools have been damaged and thousands of children have been exposed to horrifying scenes when the storm surges hit the coast.

“We know that the first few weeks after a humanitarian disaster are crucial for children’s welfare. Particularly as children can have their parents die or become separated from them, the incidence of trafficking, abuse and exploitation can go up during this time,” she said.

“Along with medical and other aid, Save the Children is establishing child-friendly centres where children can play safely, pursue educational activities and restore some normality.”

Aid is getting through successfully to people in need. The response from New Zealanders has been generous with initial assistance of $75,000 from Save the Children New Zealand now being used to fund emergency kits and other supplies.

A single dollar is enough to buy water purification tablets for 350 litres, or 16 plastic jerry cans, while $53 will provide a hygiene kit for a whole family.

Save the Children’s technical and medical experts have scrambled from around the world to deliver aid with more than 100 staff already on the ground in the hardest hit areas.

Cat Carter, Save the Children’s humanitarian officer in Tacloban, said: “We are talking to doctors in Tacloban who are completely running out of medicine and supplies, finding conditions impossible and unable to do their job. They are desperate to treat children with major cuts and bruising sustained during the storm and are now seeing young patients coming to them showing symptoms of flu and diarrhoea and suffering from fevers.

“The lack of shelter, lack of food and bottled water is only making things worse as children suffer under such brutal conditions.”

A Save the Children aid plane arrived in Cebu yesterday carrying 2,000 sheets of tarpaulin and 7,380 pieces of plastic sheeting, 12,000 blankets and four mobile medical clinics along with jerry cans, kitchen sets and winterised tents.

Contributions to the Save the Children relief efforts in the Philippines can be sent by going to the Save the Children website at http://savethechildren.org.nz/

ENDS

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