Save the Children to Assist Children and Families Affected by Hurricane Sandy

Organization mobilizes staff and resources to hardest-hit areas of New Jersey to ensure children’s needs are addressed in the aftermath of the ‘superstorm.’

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Save the Children will deploy emergency response teams today to coastal and northern New Jersey to assess the needs of children in areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy. New Jersey bore the brunt of the storm, which caused widespread destruction along the East Coast, displacing thousands from their homes and leaving millions without power.

“Through our preparedness, response and recovery programs, we continue to put the unmet needs of children and their caregivers first.”

“We as a nation have a moral obligation to protect the most vulnerable during disasters, our children. We have to do everything we can to minimize the negative and long-lasting effect these events can have on children and provide the support they need,” said Mark Shriver, senior vice president of Save the Children’s U.S. Programs.

“That’s why Save the Children is deploying our emergency response teams to the hardest-hit areas of New Jersey to assess the needs of children and their families and ensure a quick recovery of essential services, such as child care.”

As Sandy approached, Save the Children distributed advice to families for keeping children safe during the hurricane. The aid agency has a history of responding in the areas most affected by the storm, and has led disaster preparedness and risk reduction programs throughout America in recent years, in order to minimize the devastating impact of storms like Hurricane Sandy on children. Save the Children focuses on addressing the needs of children before, during and after a disaster and has helped provide kid-friendly relief supplies and other essential support.

In 2009, Save the Children donated 100 Child-Friendly Space kits to New York City's Office of Emergency Management through our partnership with the agency. When Hurricane Irene struck two years later, these kits were used to create child-friendly environments in 82 hurricane shelters housing 1,708 children.

“Hurricane Sandy impacted millions of lives, forcing many families in high-risk areas to flee from their homes and seek safety in shelters. Here at Save the Children, we know from experience that children are always the most vulnerable in any emergency situation,” said Carolyn Miles, Save the Children’s president and CEO.

“Through our preparedness, response and recovery programs, we continue to put the unmet needs of children and their caregivers first.”

To support Save the Children’s response to immediate and ongoing needs following the storm, donate to the Hurricane Sandy Children in Emergencies Fund by visiting: www.savethechildren.org/sandy

About Save the Children

Save the Children works to break the cycle of poverty and improve the lives of children by ensuring they have the resources they need—access to quality education, healthy foods, and opportunities to grow and develop in a nurturing environment. When disasters strike, like hurricanes and wildfires, Save the Children is among the first on the ground, ensuring the needs of children are being met. For more information, visit www.savethechildren.org/usa.