Privacy and protection for children affected by Typhoon Odette
“We sit when we sleep at night,” says 13-year-old Didang Alibasi, a Badjao child who lives with 22 persons in a shanty. She pulls her knees to her chest to demonstrate her position. “We can’t even stretch our legs.” Didang’s family lost their home when Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) hit Surigao City on 16 December 2021. Since the Badjao…, In close quarters, After disasters such as typhoons, children face threats to their protection. Those who lost their homes lose the safe spaces they need to have privacy. Children who live in evacuation centers are mixed in with adults or strangers. Those whose parents or guardians are having a difficult time coping can subject them to violence, abuse, exploitation…, Bathing in public, Didang takes a bath at a well near the shanties. She used to take a bath there even before the typhoon, but she has less privacy now. “People who had faucets at home also lost their water supply,” she says. “So much more people use the well now.” The well is between an alley and a billiards hall where men hang out, so many women who bathe at the…, Constant danger, So far, the community has not recorded any abuse against children. “But I’m so worried about safety,” says Dahila Araman, 56, a Badjao leader. “The children could be hit by a vehicle anytime.” Different types of vehicles, from motorcycles to trucks, ply the road in front of the shanties. Horns blare the whole day to warn people. Because the road…