UNICEF is on the ground helping children and families affected by the Super Typhoon Bopha, which hit the south-eastern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines in early December 2012.
Heavy rains and winds of 175 kph slammed into the island on 2 December, resulting in the disruption and displacement for over 2.3 million children.
Climate change has severely affected the Philippines and this storm is one of many disasters to hit the island in recent times. These photos show how its people coping with this latest disaster and how UNICEF is helping its people with their recovery.
Eleven-year-old April is one of over 2.3 million children whose lives have been disrupted by Typhoon Bopha.
She rests in a temporary shelter set up in a sports hall in the flood-ravaged town of New Bataan, south-eastern Mindanao, one of the worst affected areas on the island.
UNICEF is on the ground in the Philippines and working to help children and families hardest-hit by the disaster.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1691/Peter Caton Philippines, 2012
One-year-old Warren sleeps on a piece of cardboard, amid his family’s belongings, in a temporary shelter in south-eastern Mindanao.
The facility is serving as a makeshift evacuation centre for those displaced.
UNICEF is particularly concerned about the looming threat of malnutrition for children under five as malnutrition levels prior to the typhoon were already worryingly high.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1689/Peter Caton Philippines, 2012
This little girl walks through the debris and destruction caused by the storm in the town of Cateel in Davao Oriental Province. Here, most of the houses and public infrastructure have been completely destroyed.
The Philippines is one of ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, bearing the brunt of storms and flooding in recent years.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1695/Peter Caton Philippines, 2012
These volunteers are unloading vital UNICEF supplies from a truck in New Bataan.
Initial supplies provided by us include 2,000 water kits, with water containers and water purification items; equipment for setting up temporary latrines; and 2,000 family hygiene kits, containing soap, toothbrushes and other hygiene supplies.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1698/Peter Caton Philippines, 2012
These children are inside an evacuation centre in the town of Tarragona in Mindanao.
Clean water is in short supply due to water systems being destroyed, damaged or contaminated, the water and hygiene kits provided to families by UNICEF ensure they have clean, safe water and equipment for washing. This will help protect children from diarrhoea and respiratory diseases.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1689/Peter Caton Philippines, 2012
A woman carries her daughter through knee-high flood waters as they evacuate her village in Pantukan Township in the Compostela Valley Province.
Typhoon Bopha was set to hit the same areas affected by Tropical Storm Washi which occurred a year ago, when more than 1,500 people lost their lives.
This year, government and community organisations organised early evacuations of families in the most vulnerable areas, helping to prevent loss of life in many places.
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1694/Peter Caton Philippines, 2012
Despite earlier warning systems, more than 540 people have been killed and over 820 are missing as a result of the devastation caused by Typhoon Bopha.
An estimated 5.4 million people have been affected and in need of humanitarian assistance.
Please help by donating to our Children's Emergency Fund
© UNICEF/NYHQ2012-1698/Peter Caton Philippines, 2012
