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Philippines

EMERGENCY ALERT:Flash Floods Devestate the Philippines

Save the Children is responding to Typhoon Washi (Tropical Storm Sedong) and flash flooding that has killed hundreds on Mindanao Island the southern Philippines. The two hardest hit cities were Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City.

Save the Children teams are on the ground to provide clean water and essential items to families caught up in the disaster

“50,000 children have been caught up in the flash flooding, and Save the Children is working around the clock to reach vulnerable children and adults before it is too late," said Anna Lindenfors, Save the Children’s country director in the Philippines.

"We are especially worried about children trapped in areas that we cannot access due to the damage caused by the storm.”

Read the Press Release

Read Anna's Blog

Donate now to the Philippines Annual Monsoon and Typhoon Children in Emergency Fund to support Save the Children's responses to ongoing and urgent needs as a result of typhoons, monsoons and other fierce storms in the Philippines.

By the Numbers:

Population- 97,976,603
Size- slightly larger than Arizona
30% of the population is below the poverty line
26.5% of children under 5 are malnourished
Only 60% of births are attended by skilled health personnel

(CIA World Factbook, World Bank, WHO)

Our Programs:

Education
Health
Livelihoods and Food Security
HIV/AIDS
Child Protection
Child Rights
Emergency Response

Challenges for Children

Save the Children has worked in the Philippines for the past 30 years and quickly delivers humanitarian relief after the nation’s frequent typhoons and other disasters. A prime target of natural disasters, the Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical storms a year and is located in a major earthquake zone housing a number of active volcanoes.

The dismal state of the education system; high prevalence of malnutrition and life-threatening illnesses among infants and children; increasing reports of child abuse and exploitation; and other forms of violence against children, continue to plague the country. Illegal logging and deforestation contribute to the increasing severity of floods, landslides and mudslides in areas where large numbers of people live.

The economic crisis was compounded by two typhoons (Ketsana and Parma) that hit the country in late September and early October of 2009. These typhoons caused some of the greatest damage the country has seen this century, displacing over 9 million people and severely damaging the country’s infrastructure.

Background

An archipelago of amazing ecological diversity, the Philippines is a study in contrasts. Volcanic mountains dominate the larger islands, while picturesque coastline—when combined, extending for over 22,000 miles—abounds on others. The Philippines is home to affluence and modernity, as well as deep-seated poverty. This inequality is a major obstacle to the country's overall development, and recent studies indicate that this gap may be growing. Armed conflict in the impoverished area of Mindanao, one of the areas where we operate sponsorship programs, exacerbates the situation for children and families who are already underserved.

Looking Forward

Save the Children looks forward to creating more opportunities for children and their families by initiating additional livelihood programs, improving children's access to quality education and health services and addressing issues that threaten the protection of children. Programs will expand to a new urban impact area which will allow us to reach more children and families in Metro Manila where some 12 million of the country's 90 million people live.

Last Updated on December 2011

Across The Globe

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