Originally published on the CGS blog on November 12, 2013.
The Philippines are continuing recovery efforts following landfall of the deadliest typhoon to strike the country on Friday. Casualty figures are skyrocketing as contact is reestablished with outlying towns and villages. Over 10,000 people in the city of Tacloban alone are believed dead from Super-typhoon Haiyan. . Other villages were completely wiped off the map. In addition to the casualties, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced.
Filipino officials had believed the storm’s speed would limit the amount of rainfall and wind, resulting in few casualties. In the past, a majority of storm-related casualties and damage came from rain-swollen rivers and mudslides; this was not the case with Haiyan. The super-typhoon produced a 10-foot tall storm surge and produced winds of 190 mile per hour with some gusts reaching 235. Evacuations began the day before the storm reached landfall but poor infrastructure, inadequate planning, and a lack of time resulted in most people not being evacuated.
One of the core values for GlobalSolutions.org’s members is the need for strong international cooperation. Over 21 countries have pledged aid, and assistance and aid workers are already on the ground. Eighty U.S. Marines have already arrived from Japan to help with relief efforts and more are on the way. The International Red Cross has dispatched aid convoys but many are held up due to washed out bridges, roads, and debris. Some convoys have been attacked by desperate survivors prompting the Filipino military to deploy military and police forces to protect and ensure aid delivery.
Globally minded citizens are contributing through UNICEF, the International Red Cross, the World Food Program and other charities. . Many homes, stores, and warehouses have been completely destroyed and any food and water inside has been contaminated and ruined by seawater, debris, and decaying remains. It is likely that, as existing supplies the capacity of shelters to provide are used up, the situation will get worse before it gets better.
People in the Philippines need your assistance. Donate today to a charity of your choice or via those listed above by clicking on the links.
