Beckham thrills kids with Philippine visit

Children recovering from the typhoon that hit the Philippines in November have been thrilled by a visit from UNICEF goodwill ambassador David Beckham.

David Beckham has brought some cheer to children in the Philippines during a morale-boosting visit to the country.

The British sports icon is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and he was moved by the plight of families made homeless when Typhoon Haiyan hit the region in November.

On Thursday, he flew into Tacloban, the country's worst affected city, to view the organisation's aid efforts.

He also thrilled kids by visiting a child-friendly space at a major evacuation point in the city.

Beckham was pictured wearing a UNICEF T-shirt and reading a story to younger children during his visit.

"I was humbled to visit Tacloban and see how people are still so full of spirit despite the devastation they have suffered. Close to six million children are affected and many have lost loved ones," he said.

"As a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, seeing how children are being given a sense of normality amidst the rubble of their communities has been amazing. I want to show people around the world how their generous donations have had an enormous impact on children and their families and how thankful people here are for their kindness."


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world