Save the Children Helping to Reduce Risks to Children and Prepare Communities in Disaster-Prone Countries

WESTPORT, Conn. (Nov. 10, 2008) — As Asia marks the 6-month and 1-year anniversaries of two deadly cyclones, Save the Children is helping communities in the region and around the world prepare for and respond to future disasters, with a special focus on working to protect children before, during and after major emergencies.

A teacher assists a child with his writing practice in a temporary school that doubles as a Child Friendly space after class time in Yangon, Myanmar.

Over the last year, Asia has suffered severe flooding, tropical storms and monsoons, mudslides, earthquakes and two major cyclones. Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh November 15, 2007, killing 3,500 people and affecting 5.4 million people in 30 districts. Cyclone Nargis swept across Myanmar May 2–3, 2008, leaving more than 1 million people homeless and over 130,000 dead or missing.

"When disasters strike, children are among the most vulnerable. Their health, nutrition, security and education — the very foundation of their development — are threatened," said Charles MacCormack, Save the Children's president and CEO, who last week visited Save the Children's emergency response programs in Myanmar. "It is crucial to plan for emergencies before they happen, both to reduce risk in advance and to be prepared when they do occur."

On average, disasters around the world kill some 58,000 people and affect 225 million others every year. Children and women are the most adversely affected and comprise the majority of fatalities, MacCormack noted.  

Recognizing the critical importance that preparedness plays in helping children and communities plan for and react to a crisis, Save the Children is implementing disaster risk-reduction programs around Asia. Two examples:

• In Bangladesh, where it began working with coastal communities in 2005, Save the Children has recruited and trained more than 900 emergency-management volunteers, established local disaster-management committees and helped conduct drills for some 10,000 people living in the zone affected by Cyclone Sidr.
• In Myanmar, the organization is working to help rebuild stronger and safer schools, and empower and engage children in mapping risks within their community, planning evacuation routes and understanding the natural forces that may impact their lives. Save the Children also will help improve water collection and containment systems, and support the rebuilding of household's livelihoods to assist with long-term recovery.

"Preparedness saves lives," said MacCormack. "It is not acceptable to simply assist communities back to the status quo after a disaster, leaving them vulnerable to the same risks." 

In Asia, Save the Children also is working on risk-reduction strategies with children, communities and governments in Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The organization's focus is to create child-focused strategies and to assist communities to build back safer. Key strategies include enhancing early-warning systems, reducing underlying risk factors, increasing school-based awareness and working with local and national governments to make preparedness a priority.

Save the Children is a global leader in providing rapid humanitarian relief, child protection, and short- and long-term recovery initiatives when children's lives and well-being are jeopardized by disasters. It provided lifesaving food, water and supplies to more than 200,000 people in the first six months after Cyclone Sidr and 500,000 people after Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Save the Children also ensured that tens of thousands of affected children could continue their education in temporary or rebuilt schools and had safe spaces to play.

Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org) is the leading independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Save the Children USA is a member of the International Save the Children Alliance, a global network of 27 independent Save the Children organizations working to ensure the well-being and protection of children in more than 100 countries.