Typhoon Damrey, which struck south-central Vietnam over a week ago, has left tens of thousands of children at risk of health issues, UNICEF reports.
VnExpress shares that UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund) has found that 150,000 children in Vietnam remain at risk of malnutrition exacerbated by the impact of the devastating typhoon.
Humanitarian aid has yet to reach some of the hardest-hit communities, while poor fishing villages, which already struggle during normal weather, are in especially dire condition.
According to the aid agency's report, 80,000 pregnant and nursing women in the provinces affected by Damrey are also in need of specialized care.
In a copy of the report that UNICEF shared with Saigoneer, the agency noted: "[The typhoon] hit poor communities where the nutritional status of children was already of concern with malnutrition rates above national average. Populations in that region rely heavily on agriculture and fish farming for their livelihood and the storm also caused extensive damage to the agricultural infrastructures which is impacting the capacity of poor families to earn a decent living to care for their children."
UNICEF also added: "Children are also exposed to an increased risk of waterborne diseases. Drinking water supply was interrupted for several days after the storm and people had to resort to unclean water for their consumption."
VnExpress adds that UNICEF is currently providing micronutrients and calorie supplements to children and breastfeeding mothers in the region, along with water purification equipment.
Typhoon Damrey ranks among the deadliest storms to hit Vietnam in decades, with the death toll from the storm sitting at 106, the news source shares. Thousands of homes were damaged or destroyed, along with thousands of hectares of agricultural land.
The Russian government also recently offered US$5 million in humanitarian aid, along with other necessities such as tents, food, and power generators.
[Photo via VnExpress]
