6M Children in Southeast Asia Affected by Typhoon Yagi: UNICEF

AFP/APP

Bangkok: Deadly floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi have impacted nearly 6 million children across Southeast Asia, according to the United Nations. The death toll from the disaster has continued to rise.

Typhoon Yagi brought powerful winds and torrential rainfall to Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar nearly two weeks ago. Thailand has reported three additional deaths, raising the country’s toll to 18, while the total number of fatalities across the region has reached 537.

UNICEF has highlighted that six million children are now facing compromised access to clean water, education, healthcare, food, and shelter. “The most vulnerable children and families are suffering the most devastating consequences of the destruction left by Typhoon Yagi,” stated June Kunugi, UNICEF’s regional director for East Asia and the Pacific.

In Vietnam, approximately three million people are at risk of disease due to inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Meanwhile, nearly 400,000 people in Myanmar have been displaced by the floods, exacerbating an already severe humanitarian crisis caused by over three years of conflict between the military and opposing armed groups.

UNICEF noted that Typhoon Yagi has deepened the crisis for marginalized communities in Myanmar, worsening an already dire situation. Additionally, over 100 flood victims near Naypyidaw required hospital treatment for food poisoning after consuming donated meals, according to the junta.

The UN’s World Food Programme announced plans to launch an emergency response in Myanmar this week, providing a one-month ration of emergency food to up to half a million people.

Climate change and warming oceans, driven by human activities, are increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events like Typhoon Yagi. UNICEF reports that children in East Asia and the Pacific are disproportionately affected by these climate and humanitarian hazards, being six times more likely to suffer than their grandparents.