Philippines typhoon: our response
The typhoon that hit Mindanao Island on 16 December killed hundreds of people and left tens of thousands homeless. Working with ECOWEB, a small local organisation, we responded immediately, providing food, clothing and temporary shelter.
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Typhoon Washi wasn’t expected to pose a threat. Initially labelled a tropical depression, the storm picked up strength over the Pacific before ripping across Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines. After hours of torrential rain and strong winds, rivers burst their banks, sweeping mud, rocks and tens of thousands of logs down towards the coast.
The floods demolished whole villages along Iligan River, and many of the logs became wedged against one of the main bridges in Iligan City. When the bridge finally broke under the pressure, it sent a deadly torrent of water, mud and debris through the poorer parts of the city.
Hundreds of people were killed, and 20,000 homes and 26 schools were damaged or destroyed. At least 27,000 people have been forced into crowded evacuation centres – mostly sports centres or schools – while thousands of others have been taken in by family or friends.
Immediate response
Within hours of the disaster, we worked with ECOWEB, a small local organisation and a long term CAFOD partner, to deliver food and clothing to more than 1,000 families who’d lost their homes. We also paid people in food to clear landslides that blocked the roads to remote villages.
Today ECOWEB are using timber from logs that were washed down the river to build 50 temporary shelters. In rural areas, they are distributing housing repair kits – tools, sheeting and plywood – and helping to repair water systems. They have provided 200 small-scale farmers with seeds and tools, including ploughs, to help them make a living again. We’re also supporting ECOWEB’s work in two of the evacuation centres, where they’re improving sanitation to help prevent the spread of disease.
CAFOD's Robert Cruickshank, who went out to support the work of ECOWEB when the disaster struck, said:
“I was hugely impressed by the speed with which the ECOWEB team swung into action. They have worked very effectively, mobilising hundreds of volunteers, and acting alongside the local authorities and other organisations to deliver aid where it’s needed most.
“Inevitably, it’s the poorest people who occupy the land that’s most vulnerable to floods. Bayog Island, one of the worst affected areas, looked like it had been hit by a bomb. Hundreds of logs had been washed up onto the beach, and the only buildings standing when I arrived were small shrines built to commemorate people who’d been killed.
“I met one man going through the wreckage of his home, which had been swept 80 metres away from where it originally stood. If he’d moved in before Christmas, as he’d originally planned, he probably wouldn’t be alive today.”
Thanks to your generous support for our Emergency Response Fund, we were able to pledge £100,000 within hours of the cyclone striking. We will continue to support ECOWEB over the coming months as they help the people of Mindanao to rebuild their lives.
Help us respond to emergencies as soon as they happen>>
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