Children at risk as Super Typhoon nears Taiwan and China

Thursday, 7 July 2016

Super Typhoon Nepartak races towards Taiwan and China packing sustained winds of nearly 300km/h

Taiwan and China are bracing for a “super” typhoon carrying sustained winds of nearly 300km/h, the first typhoon to make landfall in the northwestern Pacific Ocean in almost 200 days.

The category five storm, named Typhoon Nepartak, is expected to reach Taiwan late on Thursday night or Friday morning before hitting parts of China’s southeast – many of which are already battling devastating floods.

Aid agency Save the Children stands ready to respond if required.

“Typhoon Nepartak could affect a significant number of people in Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, as well as Shanghai, some of which have already been affected by heavy rainfall in recent weeks,” Acting Country Director for Save the Children in China, Wang Le said.

“I’m deeply concerned about the impact the storm will have on children, who are particularly vulnerable in times of emergency."

Save the Children has been working in China since the early 1980s including in child protection, education and health.