‘Rush housing for Yolanda victims’

MANILA, Philippines - More than seven months after Super Typhoon Yolanda ravaged eastern Visayas, nearly 6,000 families remain in temporary housing bereft of sanitation and clean water, according to an international child welfare organization.

Thus, Save the Children called on the government to speed up efforts to build permanent housing for the affected families, especially those with children who are continuously exposed to illness and disease in the tent communities.

“Our staff at Save the Children are seeing children living in these temporary communities that are simply bad for them. 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,” said Rowena Cordero, acting country director of Save the Children.

“It’s time to prioritize these children, these survivors, and not let Yolanda claim anymore young lives,” Cordero added.

Save the Children has completed a study and has released a report on the dangers that children and young people face as they continue to live in temporary accommodations in the Yolanda-hit cities of Tacloban and Ormoc and in different towns in Leyte and Samar.

The report outlines the lack of sanitation and clean water in many of the bunkhouses in Tacloban and other typhoon-affected communities, warning that the situation is not only causing health problems but also long-term social problems.

Countless children, according to the report, have not gone back to school as their parents think the situation is temporary and are thus reluctant to continue their children’s education.

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

The international organization urged the government to immediately make improvements in government-run temporary shelters and to release its master rehabilitation plan so those affected by Yolanda can understand its priorities and start planning for their future.

“These children are at a very important time of their lives. Save the Children wants to see them able to fulfill their potential, to access education, to have a routine and to not let this typhoon ruin their future. It’s time for the government to act on the behalf of children,” Cordero said.

Save the Children has been working in typhoon-affected communities since last November, providing shelter, food, employment, and access to education.