UNICEF prepares to respond to Super Typhoon Mangkhut threatening the Philippines
Approximately 5 million people, nearly half of them children, are at risk in the path of the Super Typhoon.
Peter Power, UNICEF Ireland’s Executive Director is available for interview.
14 September 2018, DUBLIN: UNICEF is making preparations to respond to Super Typhoon Mangkhut as it races towards densely populated areas of the Philippines.
The typhoon is forecast to hit early on Saturday morning local time and is expected to unleash winds of up to 255 km an hour together with torrential rain. Approximately 5 million people in the Philippines, nearly half of them children, are in the path of the massive storm, which is expected to be as strong as Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in 2013.
UNICEF Ireland Executive Director Peter Power says the organisation is watching developments closely and is ready to act if the Philippines Government requests UNICEF’s assistance.
“In the wake of an emergency, UNICEF has one mission: to reach and protect as many children as possible. During natural disasters children are always the most vulnerable. This is a ferocious storm and we are deeply concerned about the risk to children’s lives caused by the threat of destruction of homes, flash flooding and storm surges.
“We’re monitoring the situation very closely and preparing to act. Based on the typhoon’s strength and previous storms, we fear hundreds of thousands of children may be affected. There are millions of people in the Philippines living in the path of this storm. What we know from the past is that when disaster strikes, we need to act fast to be there to deliver life-saving food, clean water, medicines and support to children and families. That is our focus right now.”
UNICEF has a wealth of experience in responding to emergencies, including in the Philippines when Typhoon Haiyan devastated the lives of millions in 2013.
UNICEF moved quickly to help the nearly six million children caught in the eye of that storm, providing them and their families with safe drinking water, vaccinations and emergency healthcare.
UNICEF also supported children long after the typhoon hit, ensuring they were able to return to school as soon as possible, and received support and counselling for the trauma they had suffered.
UNICEF has strong relationships with partner organisations throughout the Philippines. The Philippine Government has said it may request international assistance, depending on the storm’s impact.
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Contacts
Danny Smits, UNICEF Ireland, +353871308070, danny@unicef.ie
