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World Vision responds to Typhoon Haiyan devastation in the Philippines and urges relief effort to prioritize needs of vulnerable children

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Super Typhoon HaiyanMore than 500 local World Vision staff have been mobilized in the Philippines , providing food, blankets, mosquito nets, tarps, hygiene kits, and emergency shelter, reaching nearly 400,000 people.

World Vision has launched one of its largest relief operations in five decades, responding to the needs of the nearly 400,000 people in hardest hit areas of the Philippines affected by Typhoon Haiyan. As many as 4,460 people are feared dead, and an estimated 3 million are displaced after Haiyan struck land a little more than one week ago. 
More than 500 local World Vision staff members have mobilised to provide food, blankets, mosquito nets, tarps, hygiene kits, and emergency shelter. World Vision Germany was among the first to provide relief supplies, with shipments of arriving Monday the 11th.  At a recent distribution on Cebu Island, relief kits handed to families included more than 30 bags of rice, beans, cans of sardines, cooking oil, clean drinking water, and hygiene supplies. They were sourced locally and put together with the help of a supermarket in the region.
“The distribution was a success, and hundreds of families now have enough food, but it’s just the start. There are more communities on the island who have been terribly affected and are in desperate need,” said Cecil Laguardia, emergency specialist for World Vision. 
'Child protection must be a priority'
World Vision is particularly concerned about the well-being of children, as UNICEF estimates 4.7 million young people have been affected by the disaster. There are reports that children have been separated from their families, says World Vision, so as well as providing basic life-saving assistance, it is critical to ensure children are accounted for and protected. 
World Vision is establishing 'Child Friendly Spaces' in affected areas. Child Friendly Spaces address the needs of vulnerable children, particularly their protection and psychosocial health – helping them cope with the emotional impact, and giving them a place to play in a calm and safe environment. 
The EU’s Role in Haiyan Relief  World Vision welcomes the additional €10 million in rehabilitation aid announced by EU Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, in addition to presence of International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva in the Philippines and the €3m in humanitarian assistance released from the Humanitarian Aid Directorate (ECHO). 
“The EU, through the presence of Commissioner Georgieva, is once again on the front line to bring messages of hope and European solidarity,” said World Vision’s EU Representative Marius Wanders.
“World Vision is ready, able and well positioned to partner with the EU to provide relief and rehabilitation, given our wide and long term presence in the Philippines, and our focus on children and communities.”

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