Source: MIL-OSI Submissions
Source: Save the Children
As Hurricane Laura moves inland after battering the Louisiana-Texas coast, bringing with it life-threatening floodwaters and powerful winds, Save the Children is working to meet the most urgent needs of children living in the areas hardest hit by the historic storm.
Having pre-positioned critical supplies before the storm, Save the Children’s emergency response team and local program staff in Louisiana and Texas are mobilizing to deliver displaced families the essential items they need to continue to care for their children – including hygiene kits, diapers, wipes and cribs. These supplies also include masks, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies to ensure families have what they need to stay safe in the aftermath of the storm and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“Thousands of children have been ripped from the lives that they knew – unsure of what the future may hold – and it’s critical we get them and their families the essentials they need to begin to recover during this difficult time,” said Sarah Thompson, Save the Children’s director for U.S. emergencies. “Save the Children is committed to helping Louisiana and Texas’ kids get the support they need, both in the immediate aftermath of this historic storm, and long-term.”
In addition, Save the Children will be working with local education partners in coastal Louisiana and Texas to help restore child care and early learning centers devastated by Hurricane Laura.
“Children can begin to cope when they are able to interact with their peers and resume a normal routine,” said Thompson. “That is why it is so important to get these children back into daycare and preschool classrooms or remote learning as safely and as soon as possible. It is essential for them to stay engaged and focused on learning during this stressful time.”
As the national leader in protecting Children in emergencies, Save the Children has been supporting children’s most critical needs in emergencies on the Gulf Coast since 2005, including Hurricane Harvey in Texas, where it stayed for years to help children, families and communities recover. Save the Children also has early learning and education programs in Louisiana and Texas, working to help children succeed in school and life.
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in 120 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Indonesia, Thailand, and Mozambique. Areas of work include education and literacy, disaster risk reduction, and alleviating child poverty.
