UNICEF prepares for Maysak/Chedeng; Landfall expected on E. Luzon on the weekend

April 3, 2015  Super Typhoon Maysak (local name Chedeng) has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and is expected to make a landfall on the eastern coasts of Luzon over the weekend.

According to latest reports from PAGASA, the country’s weather bureau, Maysak has maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h and gusts of up to 210 km/h making it a Category 2 typhoon. This typhoon has slightly slowed down from its previously recorded sustained winds of 215 km/h.

Latest estimates forecast Maysak’s landfall on the eastern coasts of Aurora and Isabela provinces in the evening of 5 April (Sunday). Residences particularly in the said provinces are warned to be ready to evacuate as moderate to heavy rainfall may trigger flashfloods and landslides.

The Philippine government has also issued a warning against possible storm surges of up to four metres on the eastern coastal areas of Samar and Bicol regions, as well as in Aurora and Quezon provinces.

“UNICEF is ready to support the government with pre-positioned emergency supplies from our local warehouses in Manila, Tacloban, and Cotabato once the emergency hits. In times of disasters, children face the risk of disease outbreaks, malnutrition, violence and disrupted education. Our priority is to ensure that children and their rights and welfare are protected before and after disasters,” said Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF Philippines Representative.

UNICEF has pre-positioned essential supplies that include water kits, hygiene kits, water purification units, school tents, student and teacher materials, child friendly space tents, medical supplies, nutritional therapeutic food items to combat malnutrition, oral rehydration saults, tarpaulins and generators enough for at least 10,000 families.

UNICEF has staff on standby ready to be deployed in rapid assessments as soon as it is safe to travel. UNICEF, with the Philippine government, co-leads the joint response in the areas of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Nutrition and Child Protection.

About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information about UNICEF and its work please visit www.unicef.org

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