2 October 2009As the Philippines braces itself for an approaching 'super typhoon', people in the UK have donated £250,000 in just 24 hours to the British Red Cross
Asia Pacific Disasters Appeal.Mark Astarita, British Red Cross director of fundraising, said: "These figures show that
despite a recession in the UK, the British public can still dig deep when it's really needed. They understand how desperate the situation is across the Asia Pacific region and want to do what they can to help. "Red Cross emergency relief teams are on the ground but more supplies are
desperately needed and thousands of people have yet to be reached with basic aid."Emergency responseThis week, the Asia
Pacific region has been devastated by a series of escalating disasters including an earthquake that devastated Padang, the capital of the Indonesian island Sumatra. It has claimed more than a
thousand lives although this number is expected to rise. Desperate search and rescue operations are underway as thousands remain trapped by rubble. The British Red Cross is sending an
emergency response team to Padang, to help get emergency supplies to the thousands of families who have lost everything; 2.5 tonnes of medical supplies were sent today, Friday 2 October.In
Samoa, an earthquake on 29 September triggered a tsunami which killed at least 110 people and affected up to 15,000 more. Samoa Red Cross volunteers have set up five camps for displaced families and
are distributing emergency relief.Red Cross volunteersIn the Philippines, Red Cross volunteers have been working around the clock after Typhoon Ketsana hit on 26 September. Now
they are preparing for Typhoon Parma, a category 5 typhoon, which is set to cause further devastation.Heikki Vaatamoinen, a Finnish Red Cross aid worker based in the Philippines, said: "The
typhoon is predicted to hit the north-east corner of the country. The response mechanism here is very strong; when the forecast was heard, volunteers began to evacuate the public and prepare for the
typhoon."With millions of people affected by Typhoon Ketsana, and 600,000 made homeless, the Red Cross has opened 130 evacuation centres where more than 75,000 survivors are receiving safe
shelter, hot meals and blankets. However, as coastal regions are evacuated over the course of today, resources will be seriously stretched.Red Cross appealAn email to Red Cross
supporters saw them donate £3,500 within minutes, with average online donations over £30. Tesco, Vodafone and Bloomberg have also made generous donations. However, as the full extent
of these multiple disasters continue to emerge it is clear that more funds are desperately needed to keep up the vital emergency response operations.The Asia Pacific Disasters Appeal will
cover past, present and near future flooding events in a number of countries throughout the continent, including those currently affected and those potentially affected in the future.Find our
more about the Asia Pacific disasters
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A man makes his way down after uninstalling an advertising billboard in preparation for the incoming Typhoon Parma in Makati's financial district of Manila October 2, 2009. The Philippines declared a ...
