Written
by Rick Stambaugh of FGGAM
Please continue to pray for these devastated people as they try to recover from this horrendous situation.
While it appears the death toll could possibly actually be considerable less than previously expected, I remind everyone the situation is still extremely fluent. We now have the Philippine government announcing the actual confirmed death toll at 2,275 souls lost. Under the catastrophic conditions, especially in the area where the typhoon took it’s direct hit, these numbers will probably remain fluent for days to come. The number quoted is what they have actually recovered at the moment of the report and we can rest assured, as rescue and recovery crews continue their work, these numbers will increase. The damaged infrastructure and bad communications links made a conclusive death toll difficult to estimate.
Relief efforts in typhoon-ravaged central Philippines picked up pace Wednesday, but delays in supplies of food, water and medical supplies sparked panic and increasingly caused desperate survivors to take matters into their own hands.
Eight people were crushed to death when a wall collapsed as they and thousands of others stormed a rice warehouse on Leyte Island, the worst-hit region by Friday’s storm, said National Food Authority spokesman Rex Estoperez. They were the first reported deaths tied to looting.
The looters in Alangalang municipality Tuesday carted away up to 100,000 sacks of rice.
The two main airports in the area of Tacloban have been able to open their runways after repairs but it appears any terminal infrastructure has been severely damaged but with the runways open supply aircraft will better be able to get in such needed items at tents, food, water and medical supplies.
In addition to the U.S. Navy ships & the British ship in route, a Norwegian ship carrying supplies has left Manila and is in-route. There is also an Australian transport plane with a medical team onboard on it’s way also.
U.S. Brig Gen. Paul Kennedy said that later Wednesday his troops would install equipment at Tacloban airport to allow planes to land at night.
“There is a huge amount that we need to do. We have not been able to get into the remote communities,” U.N. humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said in Manila, launching an appeal for $301 million to help the more than 11 million people estimated to be affected by the storm.
Meanwhile, U.S. military authorities are stating they are committing “the entire Pacific Command” to respond to this crisis.
Click here for more information and a link on ‘HOW TO HELP’ which provides information on organizations involved with trying to help:
Philippines typhoon survivors desperate for food as debris slows flow of much-needed aid
– HOW TO HELP
PLEASE PRAY !!!
While the focus of the media has been on Tacloban city and the provinces of Leyte and Samar, please remember the people in Bohol. Much of the relief effort is being sent to Leyte, leaving Bohol out of the picture. I’m not trying to minimize the losses in Tacloban, Ormoc, and other communities in Leyte, but the people of Bohol had also endured a massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake just three weeks before typhoon Haiyan.
Just to give you an idea of how far donations can go in helping the survivors of these disasters, $50 will purchase a sack of rice (110 pounds/50 kilos). Since this is a staple of the Filipino diet, one sack of rice will feed a family of 5 for about two weeks. (Some of us spend $50 having dinner for two.) The rice, along with dried fish, coconut, cassava, and banana, can sustain them sufficiently. They don’t eat the massive amounts of meat that we do here in the States. Water is an issue in some places, but most can boil water to make it safe enough to drink. Their ‘systems’ are more tolerant of some of the bacteria and other microbials that are commonly found in their water. If you or I were to drink it, we’d be sick in less than an hour.
So that’s just a little information to help put things in perspective for those who aren’t familiar with life in the Philippines and other similar 3rd world countries.
There are many places where you can send your donations. My organization, Educate: Bohol, which has been working in the Philippines for two years, has also established a donation portal on our website: https://www.EducateBohol.org/disaster-relief/
I want to thank those who have already given or pledged support — monies donated to Educate:Bohol are on the ground in the Philippines in less than 24 hours, providing food for those in need.
Salamat
Thank You for your input Scott and especially for the important information on the ‘Educate: Bohol’ donation portal. We must pray and do everything we can for all these folks throughout the island chain. I pray your organization great success in this effort to help the people of the Philippines in these difficult times!