Save the Children Stands Ready to Help Kids and Families Threatened by Hurricane Dorian

National Child Protection Leader’s Emergency Response Team Mobilizing in Florida, Southeast United States

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (August 30, 2019) — As Hurricane Dorian strengthens and churns toward Florida’s east coast and the southeast United States, bringing with it life-threatening winds and flash flooding, Save the Children has staff positioned in Florida to help children and families bracing for the treacherous storm.

Save the Children is also deploying more emergency response team members to the southeast U.S., pre-positioning essential child-focused supplies, and communicating with national and state partners to assess children’s immediate needs in response to Hurricane Dorian.

“Children are always among the most vulnerable when disaster strikes, and our thoughts and hearts go out to the children and families along Florida’s east coast and within the pathway of this dangerous storm,” said Jeanne-Aimee De Marrais, Save the Children’s senior director for U.S. Emergencies. “Save the Children will be there to help them recover, just like we were following Hurricanes Irma and Michael.”

As the national leader for protecting children in emergencies, Save the Children’s emergency response team set up child friendly spaces in evacuation shelters in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in Florida’s Panhandle in 2018, where kids could be kids again, express themselves and begin to recover. In addition, Save the Children coordinated emergency distributions of essential child-centric materials for the Panhandle’s most impacted families, and continues to play a leading role in getting children back to learning and returning to normalcy. 

Save the Children also responded to Hurricane Irma in 2017, helping Florida children and families recover from that catastrophic storm.

To learn more about Save the Children, please go to www.SavetheChildren.org.

Note to Editors:

Jeanne-Aimee De Marrais, who has been leading Save the Children’s emergency response efforts in the U.S. for the past 14 years, starting with Hurricane Katrina, is available for media interviews. Please contact Jeremy Soulliere at [email protected] or (203) 295-5842, or Claire Garmirian at [email protected] or (203) 209-8545 to set up an interview.

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. Since our founding more than 100 years ago, we've been advocating for the rights of children worldwide. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming the future we share. Our results, financial statements and charity ratings reaffirm that Save the Children is a charity you can trust. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.