Plan emergency teams are delivering vital aid to children and families affected by Typhoon Bopha, which hit the Philippines on 4 December causing devastating floods and landslides.
Over 6 million people have been affected by the disaster with thousands now being supported by evacuation centres. An estimated 1,067 people have died and 834 are missing.
First to respond
Plan was among the first organisations to respond when the typhoon hit - delivering emergency items including tents and water purification tablets, having put staff and supplies in place in advance.
Plan is focusing efforts in Davao Oriental, where all the schools have been destroyed, and Compostela Valley.
Our immediate response includes providing materials for temporary shelters, creating child-friendly spaces and supplying water and hygiene kits.
Education and child protection
Going forward we will establish temporary learning centres, run activities to help children cope with the emotional impact of the disaster and work to support families whose livelihoods have been destroyed.
“People have not only lost houses, they will also have lost their livelihoods in many cases. Crops have been washed away, so people will be returning from evacuation centres to find that they have lost everything,” explains Plan’s country director in the Philippines, Carin Van de Hor.
“We have more than 5 years’ experience of supporting disaster recovery here, and our response is focused on education and child protection in emergencies.”
