Bulacan, Philippines – UNICEF Philippines has delivered 3,000 hygiene kits and 3,000 water kits to stricken families in Bulacan and Pampanga through the local government units and the Central Luzon office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development..
UNICEF Philippines Country Representative Vanessa Tobin together with an emergency team visited the areas to assess the situation and better understand the situation of children and families on the ground.
“I’m impressed by the effective organization of many local government workers alongside NGOs and private sector. Supplies are getting through but we need to be vigilant to monitor childhood diseases as well as getting schools reopened and getting children back to learning,” said Tobin.
With communication and power lines down and access to flooded areas difficult, food, emergency shelter, medical supplies, water, hygiene and sanitation and non-food items are the most urgent needs, Unicef said.
UNICEF distributed water kits composed of water containers, pails and water purification tablets, and hygiene kits composed of water jugs, nail cutters, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, sanitary napkins and malong.
“Large areas of stagnant water are a danger in many ways: risks of dengue, risks of diarrhea and other infectious diseases are a big threat to young children,’ said Tobin.
UNICEF participated in a joint needs assessment Thursday with the government to better assess the nutrition and water and sanitation needs of families affect by the floods. The agency also plans to conduct a rapid needs assessment in Region 2, to further understand the situation of children and women in Cagayan and Isabela.
The UN children’s agency is in close coordination with the government and emergency response groups to provide basic supplies and services.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported a total of 59 typhoon related deaths this past week, four deaths from Typhoon Quiel and 55 deaths from Typhoon Pedring.
Flood waters have receded in the majority of the typhoon affected areas. However, isolated areas due to floods remain in Bulacan and Pangasinan provinces.
For latest updates on UNICEF’s emergency response, go to www.unicef.ph