A week of disasters for children in Southeast Asia

Kevin Cavanaugh, UNICEF USA

NEW YORK (October 3, 2009)—For millions of people in Southeast Asia, the past week will forever be remembered as days of chaos and tragedy.

The heartache began on September 26 when Filipinos found their homes and villages inundated with water as Typhoon Ketsana barreled over Manila with strong winds and torrential rains. The devastation in the Philippines was a precursor to the havoc later unleashed by the storm on Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

Days later, a powerful tsunami generated by an undersea earthquake killed scores of people and wiped out several villages in the tropical islands of Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga.

Then, a separate and unrelated earthquake rocked coastal Indonesia. In the 24 hours following the initial tremor, the rescue and recovery efforts were interrupted several times by strong aftershocks.

As camps in the affected areas start to feel the strain of more and more evacuees, UNICEF is deeply concerned about the well-being of children and families. We must guarantee that they have access to clean water, food, shelter, and our support. Every second counts.

Typhoon slams Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos

Over the course of 12 hours, Typhoon Ketsana dumped nearly 17 inches of rain on Manila—exceeding the country’s average rainfall for the entire month of September by more than an inch. The resulting floods, the worst in more than 40 years, trapped thousands of families in their homes and forced thousands of others out of theirs—with limited access to food, medicine and safe drinking water. The aftermath of the storm now poses a grave threat to children.

All told, Ketsana directly impacted the lives of over 2.5 million Filipinos—half of whom are children—and it killed over 400. Sadly, Ketsana’s wrath didn’t stop there. After pounding the Philippines, the storm crossed the South China Sea. Gaining strength, Ketsana next struck Vietnam, killing nearly 100 people and causing more than $585 million in damage in ten of the 14 affected provinces alone. The storm brought widespread flooding and devastating mudslides.

The Philippines and Vietnam bore the brunt of Ketsana’s power. However, Cambodia and Laos experienced heavy, damaging rains. Obtaining information as to the extent of the damage is difficult due to blocked roads and broken phone links. District and central authorities are organizing assessment missions, the results of which are starting to come in. What is certain is that rescuers have to act quickly, because additional storms are expected.

In the coming days, UNICEF will be delivering hygiene kits, essential medicines, water purification tablets, portable toilets and family kits containing blankets and soap to aid in the relief efforts. UNICEF is also helping to address gaps in the delivery of aid to those affected. As the relief and recovery efforts continue, UNICEF will also monitor the storms' long-term effects on children, including health risks posed by the widespread flooding.

Tsunami hits Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga

Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga were hit by a tsunami on September 29 following an earthquake that struck off the coast of Samoa. The confirmed number of deaths in the three countries has exceeded 160 and it is thought that as many as 6,000 children have been impacted by the tsunami alone.

UNICEF is providing emergency assistance to children and families affected by the tsunami in Samoa and Tonga, including immunization supplies to protect against outbreaks of diseases, oral rehydration salts to combat dehydration and water purification tablets to fend off waterborne illnesses. UNICEF Pacific is also offering to extend its support to American Samoa. However, relief efforts there are being overseen by the U.S. government as it is a U.S. territory.

Earthquakes rock Indonesia

On September 30, an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale rocked the coastal provincial capital of Padang and the surrounding areas, toppling buildings, collapsing bridges, impeding roadways and severing water and electrical lines. A second strong earthquake, measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale, hit the area on the morning of October 1.

Tens of thousands of people--a third of them children--have now been forced to leave their homes. Officials recently put the death toll at more than 1,100, but fear it could be much, much higher. Padang, located on the island of Sumatra, has roughly 900,000 inhabitants and suffered greatly during the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.

UNICEF Indonesia has been active in the country since 1948. In the coming weeks, it will continue to be on the ground assisting women and children, just as it did after the tsunami of 2004. UNICEF will work with its partners to ensure the availability of clean water, sanitation facilities and hygiene kits. In addition, after a disaster strikes, families can get separated, leaving children alone and vulnerable. UNICEF will work with its partners to provide safe places for children and reunite them with their families. In order to restore a sense of normalcy, UNICEF will also work to get children back in school as soon as possible by providing early childhood care kits, school-in-a-box kits and recreation kits.

As you can see, the challenges are daunting. But rest assured that UNICEF will stay to help provide long-term recovery to the children and families that survived the crises. With the support of partnering organizations and donors alike, UNICEF has the global experience, resources and reach to give children throughout the region the best hope of survival.

Let’s do whatever it takes to save a child.

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