6M children affected by Typhoon Yagi in Southeast Asia, says UN body

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Nearly six million children were affected by the destruction caused by Typhoon Yagi in Southeast Asia, said UNICEF on Wednesday.

In a statement issued from Bangkok, UNICEF said floods and landslides triggered by Typhoon Yagi have ravaged Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, affecting nearly six million children and compromising their access to clean water, education, healthcare, food, and shelter.

“The most vulnerable children and families are facing the most devastating consequences of the destruction left behind by Typhoon Yagi,” said June Kunugi, UNICEF regional director for East Asia and Pacific.

The most powerful storm that hit Asia so far this year, Typhoon Yagi brought torrential rains on top of existing seasonal rainfall, causing rivers to overflow and triggering deadly landslides in the region.

In its wake, over 850 schools and more than 550 health centers were damaged, according to a report.

Only in Vietnam, the powerful typhoon affected three million children while casualties have also climbed to 350 as the powerful storm caused $1.6 billion in economic losses to the country, according to an official statement.

In Myanmar, over 170 people were killed and more than 320,000 people were displaced by the powerful typhoon while road networks, telecommunications, and electricity infrastructure suffered major damage across central Myanmar, said UNICEF.

However, according to local broadcaster DVB TV, around 300 people were killed in Myanmar “due to flooding and landslides since the remnants of Typhoon Yagi arrived in the country on Sept. 9.”

Myanmar has already been affected by the ongoing conflict since February 2021, with opposition armed groups attacking the junta forces that rule the Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation, primarily in northern Myanmar, including Shan and Rakhine states.

In northern Thailand, heavy rains and flooding have severely affected nearly 64,000 children, while in Laos around 60,000 children have been affected as typhoon damaged infrastructure, threatening the livelihoods of communities already struggling to cope with negative climate impacts, said the UN body.

So far, 21 people were killed and 26 are still missing in the Philippines.