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| Bopha as a powerful category 4 super typhoon on December 1 [PHOTO: NASA] |
Manila: UNICEF and leading children’s non-governmental organizations have expressed concern about the threats to children in the aftermath of
Typhoon Bopha.
In a statement co-authored by UNICEF, Plan International and
Save the Children, the three organizations called for attention to be paid to
the looming silent threats of malnutrition and abuse and exploitation of
vulnerable children.
As the number of missing or dead from the typhoon, known as
Pablo in the Philippines, topped 1,600, the three organizations particularly
focused on two pressing issues for children that have received less attention:
the protection of vulnerable children and malnutrition.
The joint statement highlights child trafficking as a
potential risk in the most affected areas.
“Mindanao is a known source of trafficking, especially for
labour. In an environment of chaos and confusion, children are vulnerable to
trafficking, and the agencies urge increased awareness of these threats among
local government and other community leaders. Heightened awareness is the first
step towards prevention,” the statement said.
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| UNICEF Philippines Country Representative Tomoo Hozumi |
The organizations also stressed the importance of creating
‘child-friendly spaces’ in communities, where children can be registered,
monitored and where they can play, learn and socialize to regain a sense of
normalcy and childhood – essential for their psychological recovery from the
disaster.
“The Government of the Philippines and the concerned Local
Government Units have been doing commendable work in response to the aftermath
of Typhoon Pablo despite so many challenges,” said Tomoo Hozumi, UNICEF
Philippines Representative.
“In this damaged environment, it is particularly important
to pay attention to the vulnerability of children. We have seen unscrupulous
adults take advantage of these situations in other parts of the world. Through
clear information and awareness in communities, we can ensure that we don’t let
these children become double victims of their circumstances.”
The statement also highlights the dangers posed by
underlying malnutrition rates, which were above national averages in this area
even before the typhoon struck.
“Baseline nutritional status in the affected areas prior to
the current emergency shows that children in the affected areas are already
vulnerable to malnutrition. These low baseline levels indicate that it won’t
take much for children to become severely malnourished given the environment of
poor water and sanitation, as well as food insecurity,” the statement said.
“We must not wait for malnutrition to reach dangerous
levels, before we act,” said Hozumi of UNICEF. “For young infants,
breastfeeding provides all the nutrients needed, as well as offering excellent
protection from disease, as the mothers’ immunity is shared with the baby. We
urge all agencies working in these communities, in all sectors, to support
mothers, and protect their rights to breastfeed their children.”
UNICEF is supporting government and non-government partners
to conduct rapid nutrition surveys of children under-five years of age in the
most affected areas, as well as counselling for breastfeeding mothers. UNICEF
is positioning supplies to treat cases of acute malnutrition as they occur.