The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched an emergency appeal for 8.8 million Swiss francs ($7.3 million USD/5.5 million) to support the Philippine National Red Cross in assisting 200,000 people affected by Typhoon Durian, and three other recent powerful storms, which have wreaked havoc in the Philippines since the end of September.
Durian - a category four typhoon known locally as "Reming" - made landfall on 1 December, packing high winds and heavy rains, which caused massive flooding and landslides. Whole villages were buried by mud and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed, while the communications and power networks across central Philippines were also badly affected.
Early estimates indicate that at least 300 people were killed, almost 400 are still missing, more than 500 have been injured and an unknown number of residents are believed to remain trapped in their homes following Typhoon Durian.
It is estimated that at least 600,000 people have been affected by Durian, as well as previous storms, over the past two months.
"Many people are without a roof over their heads or access to essential services," said the chairman of the Philippine National Red Cross, Richard Gordon. "We must work to break this cycle of suffering and vulnerability by combating poverty and mitigating damage from disasters."
Since Friday, local Red Cross volunteers and staff have provided emergency food relief, including rice, noodles and canned goods, to around 9,000 people. Similar assistance is expected to be distributed to a further 7,500 people on Tuesday, while the National Society is also prepared to provide around 40,000 people with non-food items such as blankets and sleeping mats once assessments have been finalized.
In addition, the International Federation is sending two specialized assessment teams to the affected region, made up of relief, water and sanitation, health and logistics experts, to determine the extent of the damage and how to best meet the needs of people made vulnerable by the storm. An Emergency Response Unit, involving trained volunteers and specialized equipment is also being mobilized to provide safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in affected communities.
"The people who have been hardest hit are the poorest of the poor," said Roger Bracke, the International Federation's head of delegation in the Philippines. "The ones who suffer most often live too close to river banks or coastlines, in homes that aren't designed to stand up to one storm after another, so it's especially important to strengthen their resilience to future disasters."
In response to the emergency, the International Federation released 100,000 Swiss francs ($80,000 USD/63,000) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund on 1 December.
For more information, or to set up interviews (ISDN line available), please contact:
Anna Nelson, IFRC Media Officer for Asia and the Pacific Tel: + 41 79 724 2046
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
