Residents
in the Philippines are bracing for yet another major storm –
just over a week after Typhoon Durian slammed into central parts
of the country, cutting a path of destruction and heartbreak
across 11 provinces.
National disaster experts are preparing to evacuate up to 100,000
households in Albay Province in anticipation of Tropical Storm
Utor, which is expected to make landfall in the Philippines
on 9 December.
With most evacuation centres already occupied by people made
homeless by Durian, it is difficult to find temporary shelter
for this latest round of evacuees.
Albay was ravaged by Durian (known locally as “Reming”)
at the start of the month and there are fears that the area
will be unable to withstand further heavy rains or floods. The
Provinces of Catanduanes and Camarines Sur also sustained severe
damage and deaths caused by Durian, which unleashed wind gusts
of up to 225 kilometres per hour.
When it hits, Utor will be the fifth major storm to strike the
Philippines since the end of September, when Typhoon Xangsane
struck. At the end of October, super Typhoon, Cimaron, also
struck the Philippines, followed by Typhoon Chebi in early November.
“These poor communities have faced multiple disasters
over the past few months,” says Roger Bracke, head of
the International Federation’s delegation in the Philippines.
“Many people are left asking the question, ‘Why
me?’
This is especially true for the families who have lost their
loved ones or who have spent days digging through the ruins
of their homes to salvage what’s left of their belongings,”
Bracke adds.
According to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), more
than 180,000 homes were destroyed or partially damaged by Durian.
Typhoons are not uncommon in the Philippines and most of the
communities affected by the storms are accustomed to facing
the wrath of nature. But the scale and frequency of this year’s
storms have left many people struggling to recover.
“The Philippines’ large population of rural poor,
who often settle in precarious areas, perched on mountain sides
or on beachfronts, have been working this land for generations,”
says the PNRC’s head of disaster management, Benjamin
Delfin Albano.
“They have developed coping mechanisms to deal with the
couple of dozen or so typhoons that strike each year, and they’re
used to rebuilding their houses… but rarely do we see
this level of devastation.”
The PNRC has been working around the clock across the affected
area to provide emergency relief, including food, blankets and
water, to vulnerable families.
Several Red Cross local offices were flooded or damaged by Durian
and many staff and volunteers have been working with limited
access to electricity and phone lines. What’s more, many
have been helping others despite the knowledge that their own
homes were damaged or destroyed.
As the PNRC continues to rise to the challenge of providing
assistance and protecting residents ahead of the next severe
storm, the International Federation has sent in a team of experts
to assess the level of damage and the needs of affected communities
and determine how to make them more resilient in the face of
future disasters.
The team is made up of specialists from around the world, including
Cambodia, Iceland, Indonesia, Mongolia, the Netherlands, New
Zealand, Switzerland, Thailand and the United States.
“This is the second time I’ve been to the Philippines
in just over a month,” explains Putu Sutu Wijaya, the
head of disaster management for the Indonesian Red Cross’
Bali branch. “I was here responding to another typhoon
a couple of weeks ago… It’s hard to see so much
despair but our job is to help and that’s what we’re
going to do.”
This belief in the power of humanity and the importance of humanitarian
efforts has been reflected in correspondence received by the
PNRC in recent days. One man living in the US offered to “come
with a sleeping bag and help out for two weeks” if needed.
Another person wrote to say that he was foregoing his birthday
celebrations in order to donate the money to support affected
families.
“These situations bring out the best in people,”
says the PNRC secretary general, Corazon Alma G. De Leon. “There
is tragedy… but there is also humanity.”
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Residents
in the Philippines are bracing for yet another major storm
– just over a week after Typhoon Durian slammed
into central parts of the country, cutting a path of destruction
and heartbreak across 11 provinces. (p15158)
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According
to the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), more than
180,000 homes were destroyed or partially damaged by Durian.
(p15159)
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The
PNRC has been working around the clock across the affected
area to provide emergency relief, including food, blankets
and water, to vulnerable families. (p15160)
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With
most evacuation centres already occupied by people made
homeless by Durian, it is difficult to find temporary
shelter for this latest round of evacuees.(p15157)
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News
