Save the Children Philippines is sending humanitarian support to displaced children and their families now cramped in evacuation centers as Super Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) flattened majority of houses, toppled power and communication lines, and severely damaged schools in Bicol provinces, South of Manila. Donate to support our Typhoon Rolly emergency response, today.
An eight-member humanitarian team has been deployed since Monday to conduct assessment of the children’s needs.
“Children, mostly from poor households and living in remote areas are paying the price of the impact of extreme weather events like Super Typhoon Rolly. We should act with urgency by protecting them from hunger, being displaced, as well as against life-threatening diseases including COVID-19,” said Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines.
“The impact of climate shocks, such as strong typhoons, is lifelong and devastating as it leaves families desperate for food, clean water, and put thousands of children at risk of diseases and acute malnutrition-a life threatening condition that requires urgent treatment,” said Muyot.
An estimated 450,000 children and their families live in the provinces that were hit by the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall in the last seven years, since the devastating Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that killed 6,300 people.
Save the Children is distributing 1,000 family hygiene kits; 1,000 water kits; and 1,000 plastic sheets or tarpaulins that can be used as temporary shelters for displaced families in Camarines Sur and Albay provinces. Donate to support our Typhoon Rolly emergency response, today.
The humanitarian response team have all undertaken confirmatory tests for COVID-19 prior to deployment to ensure compliance with the health and safety protocols.
“We're very concerned that towns have been cut off as power and communication lines were down following the weekend's storm,” said Muyot.
Super Typhoon Rolly made four landfalls on 01 November in the provinces of Catanduanes, Albay, Quezon, and Batangas before exiting to the West Philippine Sea.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that based on the current available data, there are 372,653 affected families or 2,068,085 individuals affected in 12 regions, including the Bicol region. The Office of Civil Defense reported that around 309,479 families or 1,200,439 persons were affected in the Bicol region.
Save the Children has launched the Red Alert Campaign to address the impact of climate crisis, potentially deadlier pandemics, and natural disasters.