| Philippines Floods |
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We are assisting children & families affected by the December flash floods The flooding was triggered by Tropical Storm Sendong, which has displaced thousands of children and adults.The two hardest hit cities were Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. It is estimated that over 120,233 families have been affected, with many losing their homes and multiple schools being closed. 1,257 individuals are reported dead (242 of these are children), 6,063 as injured and 181 as missing. "We are hearing reports that the majority of those who have died in the floods are children, who are always most vulnerable in these situations," said Save the Children Philippines country director Anna Lindenfors. "Children who have survived this disaster will be hungry, frightened and exhausted. We are especially worried about children who may have been separated from their parents during the flooding, as rains continue to fall and there is a very real risk of landslides causing further damage. Save the Children teams are already on the ground in the area, and will launch an emergency response as soon as possible." Save the Children is mobilizing supplies and will be providing those most affected in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan with basic kitchen items, blankets and jerry cans. 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.
To support children and families affected by disasters like the flash flooding in the Philippines donate to our Children's Emergency Fund.
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Photo DiaryChildren and families affected by the flash flooding
Human Stories Mark Balili
All seven brothers were orphaned that night when their house collapsed, leaving their parents and grandmother missing. Both their sisters were killed in the floods. "We woke up because my mother was shouting and telling us to get up the roof," said Mark. "The nine of us and my two sisters-in-law got up first, while my parents tried getting my grandmother. She's paralysed from the waist down." But the house collapsed before they reached the roof. "We saw them being swept away by the current," said Mark. As their house surrendered to the current, all nine siblings held on to a piece of the roof. Unable to control where they were going, they crashed into a pole under a bridge. His two sisters, aged 10 and 17, lost hold of the roof and were both killed. They were among more than 1,200 people who were reported dead by authorities in the disaster. The crash caused the siblings to split up. "We didn't know where were going, but soon found ourselves in the middle of the sea," said Mark, who was left with two older brothers, aged 17 and 25. "A few men on a boat saw us two days later and rescued us." Being out at sea for two days after losing his parents, grandmother and sisters left Mark in distress. With the sounds of firecrackers over this festive season, Mark told Save the Children staff that it scares him and triggers bad memories of that night. "The sound of firecrackers reminds me of how my house collapsed," said Mark. "I've been waking up to the sudden loud sounds of firecrackers and it scares me." Mark and his brothers have accepted that their mother and grandmother are most likely dead, but remain hopeful that their father will return. "He's a fisherman and might be able to survive the floods," he said. Since Mark and two of his older brothers are under the age of 18, they were referred to Save the Children by a fellow aid group helping people in the area. They are also being cared for by their older brothers and sisters-in-law. To help child survivors deal with such experiences, Save the Children is conducting psychosocial support sessions that consist of creative art workshops, play groups and group processing activities. Child-friendly spaces are also set up so children can gather to play and talk about their experiences with children of a similar age. In the longer-term, Save the Children and its local partners plan to train children to serve as peer support to other children, which will help address both their peers and their own psychosocial needs. Child-protection teams in communities will also be identified and trained to observe how children are coping and refer cases to appropriate agencies. Save the Children has been helping children in the Philippines for over 30 years. The children's charity is providing life-saving water and hygiene items such as soaps and towels to flood-affected children and their families.
Find out about Save the Children's Disaster Risk Reduction program in the Philippines.
To support children and families affected by disasters like the flash flooding in the Philippines donate to our Children's Emergency Fund.
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Mark remembers clinging onto a piece of his roof for two days in the Macajalar Bay off Cagayan de Oro before he was rescued by a ship. He and two of his six older brothers were swept out to sea in the flash floods triggered by tropical depression Washi on the night of December 16th.
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