Schools have been suspended for at least the next two days in the Philippines after the country was battered by Typhoon Fung-wong overnight, disrupting education for millions of children, Save the Children said1.
At least two people have been killed and more than 1.4 million people evacuated, including an estimated 470,000 children2, as the biggest typhoon to hit the Philippines in years and the second in a week triggered flash flooding, landslides and extreme winds.
Typhoon Fung-wong came on the back of a series of disasters to hit the Philippines in recent weeks, highlighting the vulnerability of the country to crises, with the Philippines ranked the world's most disaster-prone country this year by the WorldRisk Report3.
Save the Children is calling for immediate and decisive action to protect children against the impacts of climate change, including the impacts increasingly intense typhoons, as world leaders convene in Brazil today for start of the 30th UN climate summit, or COP30, to discuss solutions to the global climate crisis.
Save the Children last week launched new data to show that 48 million children a year, or 136,000 children a day, have been affected by climate disasters like typhoons since the first COP climate summit was held 30 years ago.
While there is not enough data yet to conclude that climate change has led to the increasing frequency of typhoons, several studies show a relationship between rising ocean temperatures and increasing typhoon intensity.4
Faisah Ali, Humanitarian Manager, Save the Children Philippines said:
"Typhoon after typhoon has battered the Philippines this year, on top of earthquakes, tsunami warnings and volcanic eruptions, and children and families have borne the brunt. These disasters disrupt not only their education but their lives and livelihoods as well. Just when they're about ready to start recovery, another disaster arrives, closing schools and displacing communities.
"Many affected families are still grappling with the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi. In Cebu, they have yet to rebuild their lives after the September earthquake. Often, as is this case now, the communities and children that are hit hardest are the poorest.
"After such a powerful typhoon, children will need essential supplies, medical assistance and emotional support. Save the Children stands ready to work with local partners and government agencies to support the recovery effort."
Typhoon Kalmaegi, which battered the Philippines last week, killed about 200 people, including babies and children, and affected areas of the country that were already suffering from the impact of a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu in south-central Philippines in September.
Families and children who were living in temporary shelters because of that earthquake had to move because of Typhoon Kalmaegi and some tents where displaced families and children have been staying were taken down because of the typhoon.
Save the Children is preparing to distribute 500 shelter kits that are expected to arrive in Cebu this week. The children's charity is also preparing to scale up the provision of food and emergency cash, as well as looking to provide immediate access to safe drinking water.
Save the Children has been working in the Philippines since 1981 with programmes in humanitarian response, health and nutrition, education, and children's rights and protection.
