Hurricane Harvey is being recognised as the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history. With thousands of families and children forced from their homes, many are seeking refuge in Texas and neighbouring Louisiana.
Right now, our teams are on the ground around the world, responding to the latest flooding disasters.
What our US team are doing
On Saturday our US team expanded their emergency response into Louisiana. They distributed supplies for infants and toddlers, such as portable cribs, strollers, baby hygiene kits and washbasins, to more than 50 families who are taking refuge in the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (known as the LSU AgCenter).
The large shelter has also been used to open up a children’s area. This provides a safe space in which children can play, socialise and begin to recover from the psychological distress of the disaster.
This vital respite gives parents a chance to concentrate on planning their family’s immediate and long-term needs. Many have lost everything, and will have to restart their lives completely.
Our expert meets the Governor
A senior specialist for our humanitarian response team in the U.S., Caine Cortellino oversees the distribution of supplies during disasters. He met with Governor John Bel Edwards in Louisiana and explained how he’d landed at the centre more than one year ago, in response to last summer’s devastating floods.
In both Louisiana and Texas, our U.S. staff are doing community outreach work to help families gather essential resources. Staff are also working in a number of smaller shelters. These provide help to more than 1,000 children and families.
It’s incredibly difficult to reach areas at times of flooding. While our colleagues are working hard in the U.S. to reach children and their families, our Emergency Fund remains vital for our work responding to floods, and other disasters, elsewhere in the world.
Visit http://www.savethechildren.org to find out more about the disaster.
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