Manila/Kuala Lumpur, 10 November 2025 – The Philippines is grappling with an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as back-to-back disasters devastate communities already struggling to recover. In just over a month, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu, followed by Typhoon Kalmaegi (local name Tino), have left millions reeling. While on Sunday, Super Typhoon Fungwong (local name Uwan), passed over the country, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
In the face of these multiple humanitarian disasters, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched a revised Emergency Appeal, in support of the Philippine Red Cross, scaling up operations to assist 284,904 people across multiple provinces.
The appeal seeks CHF 18 million (up from CHF 8 million) to provide emergency shelter, health and WASH services, and livelihood support. However, funding is critically low, threatening the ability to deliver life-saving aid.
“Humanitarian needs are soaring, but resources are dwindling,” said Sanjeev Kafley, IFRC Head of Delegation for the Philippines. “Without urgent support, thousands will be left without shelter, clean water, or food. We cannot allow disaster fatigue to overshadow the suffering of millions.”
“The resilience of communities is being tested to its absolute limits,” said Dr. Gwendolyn Pang, Secretary General of the Philippine Red Cross. “We were already supporting families who lost everything in the earthquake, and now hundreds of thousands more people have been displaced by flooding and landslides. With another storm approaching, the situation is dire.”
The people of the Philippines have endured much in recent weeks. On 30 September, an earthquake struck Cebu, killing 79 people, injuring 559, and damaging more than 134,000 homes, including 7,295 completely destroyed. Infrastructure losses are estimated at ₱6.76 billion (CHF92.2 million), and over 747,000 individuals were affected, according to government figures.
As families began piecing their lives back together, Typhoon Kalmaegi slammed into the same region and beyond, making eight landfalls across Visayas and Palawan between 4–5 November. The storm affected more than 2.4 million people and the number of dead, injured and missing continues to rise as more information comes in from affected provinces.
More than 377,000 people are still in crowded evacuation centres or temporary shelters days after the typhoon moved on, while residual floodwaters with strong current and massive amounts of debris are hampering search and rescue efforts. Lifelines remain disrupted, with power outages in 156 municipalities and water interruptions in seven cities, heightening risks of disease outbreaks.
And now the country is reeling from the aftermath of Super Typhoon Fungwong – the 21st tropical cyclone this year. As of 10 November, Fungwong has affected 230,000 families across the archipelago and killed two persons.
The Philippines is prone to disasters, but this sequence of catastrophes is not routine - it is a stark reminder of the escalating climate and seismic risks faced by vulnerable nations. Urgent support is needed to scale up relief efforts, prevent further loss of life and support the country as it recovers from this latest disaster.
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