Lack of permanent housing makes kids in Yolanda-hit areas vulnerable

By: Matikas Santos - 10 years ago

Displaced children living in a bunkhouse resettlement in Tacloban City receive notebooks from NGOs. Save the Children says that the children in typhoon-devastated areas are vulnerable to poverty and exploitation. PHOTO from ‘Save the Children’

MANILA, Philippines—Children survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) are vulnerable to poverty, exploitation, and family breakdown if permanent housing isn’t found, international non-government organization Save the Children said.

“Our staff at Save the Children are seeing children living in these temporary communities that are simply bad for them,” Rowena Cordero, Acting Country Director of Save the Children, said in a statement Thursday.

“Sanitation problems are going to continue to cause sickness and disease and the lack of infrastructure means there is no sense of routine and normality. It’s time to prioritize these children, these survivors, and not let Yolanda claim anymore young lives,” she said.

Save the Children published a report saying that after Yolanda, nearly 6,000 families remain in temporary housing with lack of sanitation and clean water in many of the bunkhouses.

The present situation in Tacloban and other areas hit by Yolanda is not only causing health problems but long term social problems, Save the Children said.

“Children aren’t going to school because parents think the situation is temporary and are therefore reluctant to settle their children into the education system,” Cordero said.

“Many residents have a lot of time and not much to do, resulting in an increase in anti-social behavior and underage drinking,” she said.

Save the Children urged the government to immediately make improvements to the temporary shelters and to release the master rehabilitation plan to allow local residents to understand the government’s plan.

“These children are at a very important time of their lives. Save the Children want to see them able to fulfil their potential, to access education, to have a routine and to not let this typhoon ruin their futures,” Cordero said.