NEW YORK, Dec. 4, 2006--UMCOR is working with partners in the Philippines to provide immediate assistance following Typhoon Durian which struck the Central Philippines on December 1, triggering mudslides. Approximately 450 people have been reported killed and another 600 are missing following the storm and subsequent landslides that buried villages on the slopes of Mount Mayon, 200 miles south of Manila.
The Rev. Paul Dirdak, Deputy General Secretary, UMCOR, is in contact with the bishop in the affected region to provide needed support. "We want to assure the churches in the Philippines of our prayers and support," says Dirdak. UMCOR has already sent an emergency grant toward relief and expects to send two more in the coming days. In the last typhoon of this magnitude, churches in this region provided shelter for survivors of other storms. Now, these church members are in need of shelter themselves.
Cash gifts will help UMCOR continue to support the immediate relief and long-term recovery of those affected by the Typhoon Durian. Checks can be mailed to UMCOR, PO Box 9068, New York, NY 10087. Write "UMCOR Advance #240235, Philippines Emergency, Typhoon Durian," on the memo line of your check. One hundred percent of every donation to any appeal, including appeals for the Philippines, goes to support recovery efforts in the disaster-stricken regions.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
