Just weeks after a 6.9 quake rocked Cebu, Typhoon Tino tore through the Visayas and left a trail of destructionโand the numbers are devastating. The NDRRMC reports 281 children among the casualties, including infants as young as four months old. Thousands of families remain displaced, with at least 5,000 children forced from their homes as floods, landslides, and collapsed infrastructure reshape entire communities.
Now, with Super Typhoon Uwan expected to enter the country within days, the danger is compounding. What were once isolated emergencies are now piling on top of one another, stretching already-fragile communities to their limit. โThese overlapping emergencies are pushing children to the edge,โ warned UNICEF Philippines Representative Kyungsun Kim, stressing that risks are escalating for the most vulnerable.
UNICEF says it is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the government and humanitarian partners, rushing assistance where itโs needed most. Their initial deployment of water, hygiene, health, nutrition, and education supplies has already reached around 75,000 people, including children, alongside technical and coordination support to keep response systems moving. More emergency stocks have been pre-positioned across strategic hubs, ready for a rapid scale-up if Uwan hits hard.
As the country braces for another powerful storm, UNICEF is calling for continued support to protect childrenโbefore, during, and after these crises. For families in the hardest-hit areas, the fight isnโt over. But with coordinated action and sustained aid, a fighting chance remains.
Image from UNICEF Philippines 2025