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UNICEF ready to send supplies, teams for 'Vinta' survivors

Philstar.com

December 27, 2017 | 2:35am

UNICEF ready to send supplies, teams for 'Vinta' survivors

A policeman assists a girl in a styrofoam box in crossing a flooded street in Cagayan de Oro City last week. Several areas were flooded after the Cagayan River swelled due to heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm Vinta. Gerry Lee Gorit, file

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 10:57 a.m.) — The United Nations Children's Fund said that it stands ready to send relief supplies and deploy field teams in the wake of Tropical Storm "Vinta."

In a statement, the UN agency said that relief materials are ready to be distributed in the wake of Vinta, the powerful storm that left at least 164 dead and 176 missing, according to the data of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Among the relief supplies are water and sanitation supplies, water kits for families, large water tanks for community use, water purification tables, jerry cans and tents.

Vinta left the Philippine Area of Responsibility on the morning of December 24, after battering the Mindanao region and triggering landslides in Cagayan de Oro City, and in several towns in Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay provinces.

Initial reports from different local government agencies put the death toll at more than 230, but the NDRRMC said that it is still verifying the numbers.

"Our heart goes out to the children and families affected and made vulnerable by storm Vinta at this time of the year when majority of Filipinos are getting ready to celebrate Christmas," Lotta Sylwander, head of the UNICEF operations in Philippines, said.

"[We] stand ready to support the government and partners to address risks on children's life and health and alleviate suffering of affected communities as best as we can," Sylwander added.

READ: Vietnam escapes worst typhoon that battered the Philippines

Children, Marawi victims priority

The UN agency also stressed the importance of addressing the needs of children who were affected by the typhoon.

"In any emergency, children are among the most vulnerable and are at heightened risk of contaminated water, lack of food and epidemics, and other hazards which often follow in the wake of a natural disaster," the UNICEF said.

It noted that there are reportedly 268,000 people affected by the storm, of whom 160,000 had had to leave their homes to seek safety.

READ: High ‘Vinta’ death toll ‘unacceptable’ amid improved disaster preparedness — Binay

The UNICEF also said that the state of those displaced by the war in Marawi City remains a "particular concern as the camps they were staying in were badly hit by the storms and tents have been destroyed."

The international humanitarian agency has an ongoing recovery programs for the at least 50,000 children affected by the five-months long war.

Catholic Church raises money for 'Vinta' relief

The Catholic Church, meanwhile, is raising money through its National Secretariat for Social Action/Caritas Philippines to help the survivors.

"Initially, we are launching a P5.8-million appeal for at least 3,000 families — 15,000 individuals — severely affected by the devastation of Typhoon Vinta," said Fr. Edwin Gariguez, NASSA/Caritas Philippines executive secretary.

Money will be used for food packs, hygiene kits for families in Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao del Norte. The money will also be used for training and programs to help the communities there prepare for disasters and emergencies better.

Caritas Manila has already released P1.8 million to the churches in Butuan, Tagum City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, Marawi City and Dipolog City, NASSA/Caritas said.

"We enjoin everyone to support the Church’s online solidarity campaign to gather additional funds for the relief and early recovery efforts," Gariguez also said.

Donations maybe sent through NASSA/Caritas Philippines’ Alay Kapwa account:

Name of Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands

Account Holder: CBCP CARITAS FILIPINAS FOUNDATION INC.

Account No: 4951-0071-08

Aside from assistance to those affected by Vinta, the Catholic Church in the Philippines is also conducting humanitarian response in areas affected by the crisis in Marawi City. It has allocates P21.6 million to Marawi relief, NASSA/Caritas said.