Information note, Super Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines
Information note, Super Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines
Here is some background information:
•
Super Typhoon Haiyan (local name “Yolanda”) made landfall on Friday morning, 8 November, on the southern tip of the Eastern Visayas island of Samar as a Category 5 super typhoon with 195 mph winds. The typhoon travelled west through Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Panay and Palawan Islands before exiting the Philippines on Saturday.
•
The damage from Haiyan is catastrophic. The city of Tacloban in Leyte was particularly hard-hit, with widespread destruction and loss of life reported.Caritas Philippines estimate that over 10,000 people have been killed and 600,000 have been displaced from their homes. Tacloban city is without power, water and food.
•
The United Nations estimate that almost 10 million people have been affected.
•
This is a major humanitarian crisis and Trócaire is responding with our Caritas partners - we havealready committed €100,000 to support their work. We are also supporting the work of Irish missionaries in the affected regions. The International Caritas Network is putting together an international team to support the effort and a Trócaire staff member is part of that team. The public have been making donations in person at our centres in Dublin, Cork and Belfastand online at www.trocaire.org.
•
Trócaire’s partner, Catholic Relief Services (USA) has sent rapid assessment teams to the typhoon-hit regions. Eight thousand tarpaulins are currently being distributed to provide temporary shelter for survivors. Agencies working on the ground are also assessing water and sanitation needs to prevent the spread of water-bourne diseases, which will be one of the immediate threats to survivors. Irish public donations will be used to provide water, food, shelter and medicines to those who are most affected.
•
According to Fr. Edwin Gariguez of Caritas Philippines: “It’s a great catastrophe, our emergency planning is underway. It’s the strongest and biggest storm that has hit the country. It’s hit an area already devastated by an earthquake. It’s a really big calamity.”
