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At least 50,000 children caught up in Philippines flooding, Save the Children estimates

Monday 19 December 2011, 1:10PM

By Save the Children New Zealand

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Tropical storm Sendong: destruction from flash flooding in Zone 7, Acacia Street, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines.
Tropical storm Sendong: destruction from flash flooding in Zone 7, Acacia Street, Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. Credit: Eduardo Umali/Save the Children New Zealand
Close to 50 houses were swept away in the early morning of 17 December 2011, rendering about 120 children homeless – this is in one street alone.
Close to 50 houses were swept away in the early morning of 17 December 2011, rendering about 120 children homeless – this is in one street alone. Credit: Eduardo Umali/Save the Children New Zealand

At least 50,000 children have been caught up in flooding in the Philippines, Save the Children estimates, after hundreds of people were swept to their deaths by an enormous cyclone.

Two days after torrential rains triggered some of the worst flooding ever seen in the country, some areas are still cut off by damage and debris, hampering relief efforts and prompting fears for families trapped without enough food and clean water.

Save the Children is particularly concerned that children may have been separated from their families during the floods, leaving them especially vulnerable, Save the Children’s Anna Lindenfors in the Philippines said.

“We fear that many children were split up from their parents as this disaster unfolded and our priority is to reach them as soon as possible. We are especially worried about children trapped in areas that we cannot access due to the damage caused by the storm. Children are likely to have borne the brunt of this disaster, because they are less likely to be able to cope with torrents of floodwater.” she said.

Hundreds of people are still missing after the storm tore through coastal villages in Mindanao and there are reports that the majority of the bodies recovered so far have been children.

Save the Children teams are on the ground to provide clean water and essential items to families caught up in the disaster. Without their families, children face a range of risks. They are often extremely frightened, unable to find food and clean water and are vulnerable to abuse.

In areas where access is possible, the government has set up evacuation centers for those made homeless by the tropical storm. Save the Children is working with the authorities to ensure that families are getting the help they need.

Notes to Editors

A Save the Children Philippines-based spokesperson, Dr Sally Bataclan, is available for comment on +63 915 402 6553. She is currently in the city of Cagayan de Oro.

 Save the Children has worked in the Philippines for the past 30 years and is dedicated to delivering the country with humanitarian relief after typhoons and natural disasters. The Philippines is a prime target of natural disasters and experiences an average of 20 tropical storms a year. It is also located in a major earthquake zone, housing a number of active volcanoes.