Typhoon Haiyan 3 days, little relief for survivors of Philippines

November 11, 2013

Charleston SC our thoughts and prayers go out to the millions of people affected by the devastation Typhoon Haiyan that tore through six central Philippine islands killing thousands of people. Wind gusts reached 175 mph destroying towns and villages along its path.

The most powerful storm in recorded history produced Typhoon Haiyan storm surges as high as trees, destroying 70 to 80 percent of structures in its path, and left millions of people without electricity, food, or drinking water.

If you’re looking or have information on a missing person, Google Person Finder has launched a Typhoon Yolanda page.

According to a Sunday report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) of the Philippines, an estimated 9.5 million people were affected by Typhoon Haiyan and over 630,000 were forced from their homes.

The Philippine Red Cross says the devastating Typhoon Haiyan has created “absolute bedlam” as rescuers try to reach survivors. It is estimated that the typhoon has caused at least 10,000 fatalities, according to local officials.

“The devastation is … I don’t have words for it, it is really horrific,” the country’s interior minister Mar Roxas said in Tacloban, the hardest hit city. “All systems, all vestiges of modern living, communications, power, water, all are down.”

The Philippine Red Cross and its partners were preparing for a major relief effort “because of the magnitude of the disaster,” said the agency’s chairman, Richard Gordon.

Typhoon HaiyanWORLD FOOD PROGRAM

The World Food Program is working to bring food to refugees around the world and people facing hardship due to natural disasters. The organization is mobilizing quickly to reach those in need in the Philippines, according to its website, and donations will help provide emergency food assistance to families and children in the area devastated by a typhoon.

PHILIPPINE RED CROSS

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has deployed assessment, rescue and relief teams to evaluate the damage from the typhoon and to support rescue efforts.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

The American Red Cross, which responds to about 70,000 natural and man-made disaster each year, is accepting donations to help people affected by the Pacific typhoon, according to its website. Donations can be made in honor of or in memory of an individual.

AMERICARES

AmeriCares is a non-profit emergency response and global health organization. In a statement on its website, AmeriCares says it delivers medical and humanitarian aid to people in need worldwide in times of epic disaster or daily struggle.

SALVATION ARMY

The Salvation Army is accepting donations specifically for Typhoon Haiyan. According to a Salvation Army statement, cash donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors without incurring many of the costs associated with sorting, packing, transporting and distributing donated goods. The relief services are funded entirely by donors and the Salvation Army says it uses 100 percent of all disaster donations to support disaster relief operations.

MERCY CORPS

Mercy Corps is deploying emergency responders to the Philippines and will be working with partners on the ground to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of survivors, the organization says on its website. Mercy Corps says donations will help survivors meet their basic needs and begin rebuilding after the typhoon.

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has dispatched an emergency team to the Philippines to respond to basic safe water, hygiene and sanitation needs. The IRC plans to expand its response as determined by needs on the ground.

THE AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has begun collecting funds for relief efforts and consulting with local authorities, the Filipino Jewish community, and global partners to assess the unfolding situation on the ground and ensure survivors’ immediate needs are addressed.

JDC has provided immediate relief and long-term assistance to victims of natural and manmade disasters around the globe, including Haiti, Japan, and South Asia after the Indian Ocean Tsunami, and continues to operate programs designed to rebuild infrastructure and community life in disaster-stricken regions.

SAMARITAN’S PURSE

Samaritan’s Purse has deployed disaster response specialists, including water and nutrition experts, to the Philippines, according to its website. Their team is working with local Christians to coordinate relief efforts on the hard-hit islands of Leyte and Samar.

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS

Emergency teams from Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have been in Cebu city (second largest city in Philippines) since Saturday, Nov. 9. MSF will strengthen its team with an additional 50 people including medical personnel, logisticians and psychologists arriving in the next few days. Currently based in Cebu, teams– including two doctors and an orthopedic specialist– will also go to Tacloban and islands west of Cebu.

The MSF teams will organize drug supply, medical equipment and material to purify water, as well as essential items for distribution such as plastic sheeting, cooking items and hygiene kits. They will also monitor possible outbreaks of infectious diseases.

Typhoon Haiyan ReliefSadly at this time of enormous tragedy in the Philippine you may find e-mails coming to you requesting donations and aid for Typhoon Haiyan Relief. Please only support those recognized organizations list on this blog post.

This information is for those in Charleston SC considering offer aid to the Philippine, Typhoon Haiyan Relief.