Typhoon Haiyan: aid agencies must ensure response reflects children's needs

Relief efforts to help those affected by Typhoon Haiyan must be shaped more by the views of children, a report from leading aid agencies including World Vision says today.
 
41 per cent of the 14 million people affected by Haiyan are children - yet the majority of assessments have focused on adults, according to the new study from Cebu, Leyte, Iloilo and Samar islands.
 
So far, World Vision has delivered aid to nearly 250,000 people in the central Philippines. The agency is also running 24 Child Friendly Spaces – protected areas for children to continue learning and come to terms with the disaster - benefiting nearly 5,000 children.
 
Priorities for children now include returning to school, rebuilding homes and restoring electricity.
 
David Thomson, Director of Policy and Programmes at World Vision UK, said: “Our research shows many children are fearful of another typhoon and are taking on new roles and responsibilities to help their families cope. 
 
“Children have unique needs and perspectives on disasters like Haiyan, so it’s vital we listen to what they’re saying and shape our work accordingly. Many are fearful of another typhoon and want to learn more and play an active role in protecting themselves.”
 
The new report – After Yolanda: What Children Think, Need and Recommend – is released by World Vision, Unicef, Save the Children and Plan. World Vision has been working in the Philippines for 55 years.