Children in the Philippines Need Urgent Support After the Earthquake
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake rocked parts of the southern Philippines, killing at least 32 people, injuring dozens more and causing damage in a key coastal city in the province of Sarangani. Save the Children is preparing to respond.
More than 3 million students have been impacted. The country's Department of Education said that about 6,000 schools are in areas impacted by the earthquake, although this data could change as the full extent of the damage unfolds.
Faisah Ali, Humanitarian Manager, Save the Children Philippines, said: "Today marked the opening of classes and schools across the Philippines after the country's summer break, but the Mindanao earthquake has put a terrifying and sudden stop to that. While the full extent of the damage is not yet known, our teams are reporting that the earthquake has destroyed classrooms and schools and forced classes to shut across many parts of the island.
Children are scared, and their lives and learning have been disrupted. We're assessing the situation on the ground, where Save the Children already has a presence, and will work to reach affected children as soon as possible, including to ensure that learning continues even after an event like this."
Save the Children has been working in the Philippines since 1981 with programs in humanitarian response, health and nutrition, education, and children's rights and protection.
The Challenges for Children in the Philippines
Living in poverty, with the constant fear of natural disasters, children of the Philippines need your help.*
22% of people live in poverty
27 out of 1000 children die before their 5th birthday
6% of school-age children are out of school
11% of children are engaged in child labor
Our Work for Children in the Philippines
Save the Children has a long history of responding to natural disasters in the Philippines. After Super Typhoon Haiyan, which left a massive path of destruction, we were among the first on the ground providing emergency relief. After the water subsided, we remained, supporting the rebuilding of homes and livelihoods of over 1 million people, including 826,000 children.
Since 1981, Save the Children in the Philippines has worked with local communities and organizations to design meaningful programs for kids.
Targeted to help children from early childhood to early adulthood, our programs work to make a healthy and safe environment where children can learn and grow. We nurture healthy moms and healthy babies by providing access to high-impact, low-cost care, working to stop preventable deaths in mothers and children.
Our early childhood programs help prepare toddlers and young children for school by giving them access to quality preschools and early literacy programs, while our programs designed for primary school-aged kids work to transform students into lifelong learners by building strong curriculums and passionate teachers.
Our work with adolescents focuses on that challenging transition between childhood and adulthood, helping ensure it’s a positive one by teaching them money, job and relationship skills. We also provide health education and care to children in need through our school health programs to help children stay healthy, well-nourished and in school.
Thanks to the generous support from our community of supporters, these essential programs in the Philippines continue to give children a healthy start and the opportunity to learn, protecting them from harm along the way.
Protected 16,082 children from harm
Supported 17,032 children in times of crisis
Provided 393,164 children with a healthy start in life
Supported 11,492 parents to provide for their children’s basic needs