ASSIST Asia: Equipping Disaster Preparedness for Children in the Philippines

Southeast Asia is one of the top ten disaster-prone places in the world, located in the path of tropical storms brewing in the western Pacific and the Ring of Fire. Millions of people have died as a result of disasters, which also lead to a loss of livelihood, property, health, and well-being.



Due to their physical, psychological, and social limitations, children and youth are the most vulnerable during disasters. We continue to regard them as passive observers of any calamity. Little to no efforts are made to make them responsible, responsive, and resilient towards these disasters that victimize them for life.



While there are solutions in place for disaster preparedness, many of the solutions that exist today are geared toward adults, with solutions for children using ineffective conventional methods such as blackboards and textbooks.



It is evident that children need to be better well-equipped to protect themselves from any imminent risk in the face of crisis by ensuring they are adequately trained in disaster preparedness and response, and ASSIST has the solution for this.