Typhoon Yagi Leaves Millions of Children in Southeast Asia in Need
In the wake of Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Southeast Asia this year, nearly six million children are struggling to access clean water, food, and shelter, Al Jazeera reports, citing United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Yagi struck the Philippines in early September before causing widespread devastation across Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, leaving a trail of destruction and claiming over 500 lives.
“The most vulnerable children and families are facing the most devastating consequences of the destruction left behind by Typhoon Yagi,” said June Kunugi, UNICEF regional director for East Asia and Pacific. “The immediate priority must be to restore the essential services that children and families so critically depend on, including clean water, education, and healthcare.”
The storm’s impact has been particularly devastating in Vietnam, where nearly 300 people have been killed and millions displaced. UNICEF reports damage to over 850 schools and 550 health centers, with three million people at risk of disease due to the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation. Approximately two million children have lost access to education, psychosocial support, and school feeding programs.
In Myanmar, already reeling from a protracted conflict and last year’s Cyclone Mocha, the typhoon has added another layer of hardship. The military junta, which seized power in a coup in February 2021, has appealed for international assistance but has a history of obstructing relief efforts.
The International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) has launched emergency appeals for Vietnam and Myanmar totaling 6.5 million Swiss francs ($7.69m).
“This year alone, the Asia Pacific region has faced an unrelenting series of climate-related disasters,” said Alexander Matheou, IFRC’s regional director for Asia Pacific. “The devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yagi is just the latest example of the compounding effects of the climate crisis on people who are already in vulnerable situations.”
The UN humanitarian affairs agency has stressed the urgent need for food, drinking water, medicine, clothes, and shelter for those affected by the floods.
