UNICEF concerned for children in the Philippines as cyclone Paeng/Nalgae strikes

Residents gather next to their belongings by destroyed homes in the landslide-hit village of Kusiong in Datu Odin Sinsuat Maguindanao province, in Southern Philippines, on 29 October 2022. Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae) hit the Philippines on 29 October, unleashing flash floods and landslides.

MANILA, 29 October 2022 –Tropical Storm Nalgae (local name Paeng) made landfall on Saturday, 29 October in Catanduanes with over 3 million people living in affected areas. Strong winds and heavy rains are causing flooding, landslides, and displacement in several regions in the Philippines, with 72 unconfirmed casualties. In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) alone, over 78,000 households are reported to be affected by flooding and rain-induced landslides. Nalgae is the latest of over 20 storms that hit the Philippines during the 2022 Pacific Typhoon season.

UNICEF is deeply concerned for children and families at risk and re-affirms its readiness to provide support to the Philippine Government to reach affected children and their families. UNICEF has a field office in BARMM with staff dedicated to work in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene, health and nutrition, education and protection. BARMM has some of the lowest indicators of child health, nutrition and well-being.

UNICEF in the Philippines is closely monitoring the situation with its UN partners and is coordinating assessments with national and local authorities.

“The rights of children are under threat with each typhoon that inundates their communities. Children are the least responsible for extreme weather events, and yet they are the ones being displaced, in mental distress and cut-off from schools and hospitals. Communities in the Philippines are simply not safe enough,” UNICEF Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov said.

UNICEF has prepositioned emergency supplies for families to respond to affected people’s needs for safe drinking water, sanitation, hygiene, medical supplies, nutrition, education, and child protection.

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children in the Philippines, visit www.unicef.ph.

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