One of the strongest typhoons in history has ripped through the Philippines and continued to plough its way through South East Asia. On Friday night, winds up to 314km/hour slammed into areas home to an estimated 4 million children.
Children stand little chance against this kind of storm. Winds uprooted trees like toothpicks. Homes were washed away by torrential storm surge. Countless buildings collapsed. Bodies are strewn through the streets and there are reports that more than 10,000 lives have been lost.
Every moment matters for these children. For children who have survived, clean water is a matter of life and death. Safe drinking water can be impossible to find after such a massive disaster. Without it, a child will drink whatever water they can find, no matter how dirty or contaminated. That drink can quickly lead to diarrhoea, disease and death.On behalf of the children who are, right now, trying to make sense of what's happened to them, thank you.
Yours sincerely, Dr Norman GillespieChief Executive, UNICEF Australia
PS. A donation of $93 can provide 7 heavy duty tarpaulin sets to shelter children who have lost their homes - but every donation will make a difference.