IN THE PHILIPPINES

On Sunday, September 27 2009, Typhoon Ketsana (known as Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines) struck the main island of Luzon in the Philippines. The storm has caused extreme flooding in Manila, and over 250 people have lost their lives, with thousands of others displaced by the waters.

As of Wednesday, September 30, the NDCC reported that approximately 373,700 families or 2,255,000 people have been affected by flooding. Some 79,000 families or 390,000 people are now staying in 561 evacuation centers. The estimated cost of damages is currently at US$100.4 million. Give2Asia is working with its on-the-ground network in the Philippines to identify opportunities for donors to provide immediate relief assistance as well as long-term recovery by helping local charitable organizations.


Click here to support Typhoon Ketsana relief in the Philippines


Across Southeast Asia
Typhoon Ketsana swept across Southeast Asia and drastically affected communities in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, in addition to the Philippines.  At least nine people died and hundreds were displaced in Kampong Thom province in central Cambodia. Flooding in Siem Reap destroyed roads and homes.  In Vietnam, more than 30 people were killed and almost 200,000 people fled their homes; severe flooding remains in central provinces. In Laos, Typhoon Ketsana left thousands of people homeless and entire villages destroyed.


Click here to support Typhoon Ketsana relief in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam

  

Relief packs for affected families
Partner: Philippine Business for Social Progress

Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) has already mobilized relief and rehabilitation efforts for flood survivors in the hardest-hit areas of Manila: Cainta in the province of Rizal and the cities of Marikina, Pasig, and Quezon City. Initial operations began this week in Cainta and will soon expand to the other cities. The rescue operations are largely completed, so PBSP is now emphasizing on secondary relief efforts, with the intention of transitioning into rehabilitation and recovery efforts in the longer term.

PBSP is currently contracting with at least two supermarkets for relief packs for families. Each relief pack per family costs US$10. Emphasis will be on ready-to-eat foodstuff, bread, and drinking water. PBSP’s member companies and Smart Telecommunications is currently handling the logistics of delivering the relief packs to affected families.

PBSP, in order to avoid duplication, is working with the National Disaster Coordinating Committee, the Provincial Government of Rizal, and the City Governments of Marikina, Pasig, and Quezon City.

Emergency Assistance to Affected Communities
Partner: Ayala Foundation, the Philippines

Ayala Foundation is currently raising funds to support relief operations to areas that have been badly hit by Typhoon Ketsana but have received little to no emergency assistance. Ayala is closely coordinating with the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CNDR), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and other nonprofit organizations and media networks.  Relief goods have been prepared and will be deployed in cooperation with Ayala Young Leaders Alliance and other disaster relief agencies. Their efforts will primarily focus on 

          o Binangonan, Rizal
          o Arayat, Pampanga
          o Hagonoy, Bulacan
          o Araneta Avenue, Quezon City
          o Brgy 598, Old Sta. Mesa

Ayala Foundation’s general philosophy is to target the underserved communities and the undermanned and under-resourced relief centers. Ayala is also planning to deploy relief assistance to other areas and additional information will be provided over time.

Immediate Relief for Ketsana Survivors in Underserved Areas
Partner: Visayan Forum Foundation, Inc., the Philippines

In the wake of the massive onslaught of Typhoon Ketsana, Visayan Forum Foundation (VF) has mobilized its disaster response team to coordinate efforts within its existing program areas in Pandacan and Paco. It has also tapped anti-trafficking partners in Quezon City, Marikina, Isla Putting Bato, Parola and other port communities.

VF is providing immediate relief by distributing potable water, food and medicine to about 7,000 affected families. Basic food provisions include rice, noodles and canned food, and priority medical supplies include antibiotics, paracetamol, vitamins, and anti-diarrhea medication. VF will also regularly assess the needs of the affected communities and expand its efforts to Cainta Pasig and Pateros if needed. Medical and health-related outbreaks will be monitored for at least three months and VF is currently exploring water purification solutions to provide clean water to mitigate the threat of water-borne diseases and complications from existing flu variants.

In Quezon City and Marikina, an estimated 5,000 people have not received any help due to the overwhelming demand for relief and the lack of proper coordination among local officials. The media has also reported that many areas in Taguig, Pateros, and Cainta are still neglected and remains inaccessible. Therefore, VF is partnering with local contacts to ensure that relief is also delivered to these areas.

Relief assistance for affected families living on the streets and in the slums
Partner: Friends International, Cambodia

Friends International (FI), through its Kaliyan Mith program, works directly with some of the most marginalized and vulnerable families and their children in Siem Reap, primarily those who are working and living on the streets and in the slum areas.  The recent flooding caused by Typhoon Ketsana has severely affected over 100 such families, adding to their already difficult living conditions.

An assessment conducted by Kaliyan Mith in the wake of the flooding has identified the following  immediate priorities for assistance:

• Medical supplies: Skin diseases and infections, including scabies, are rife following exposure to contaminated water, as are respiratory problems
• Mosquito nets: Given the flood conditions, the risk of mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue fever is very high
• Food and fresh water supplies
• Emergency repairs to houses
• Basic household items

The Kaliyan Mith teams continue their daily outreach work with these vulnerable families, but simply do not have the resources to meet the urgently required needs. Friends International estimates that US$6,000 would enable them to provide approximately 500 families with immediate relief assistance to help in them recover from the effects of the floods.


Emergency assistance and livelihood recovery for victims in Thua Thien Hue province
Partner: Center for Rural Development, Vietnam

Thua Thien Hue is one of the most devastated areas in central Vietnam, suffering the highest death tolls and infrastructural damage in Vietnam due to Typhoon Ketsana’s rampage across Southeast Asia. Several thousand people, especially the poor from rural and coastal areas, have not received any relief assistance. The Center for Rural Development (CRD) under the Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry is currently cooperating with local authorities to assess the needs of the local people and to provide them with emergency aid and livelihood recovery.

Based on their assessment, CRD is planning to provide the following assistance to the survivors:

• Provide materials to 100 households for home repair
  Distribute notebooks to 700 students who have lost their school supplies to the typhoon/floods
  
• Help rebuild a kindergarten
  
• Provide 1 to 2 months of rice supplies to 300 affected households
  
• Distribute high quality rice seeds to 300 agricultural families
  
• Distribute peanut seeds to 50 agricultural families
  
• Distribute fertilizer to 300 agricultural families

CRD has years of experience providing emergency relief and helping survivors rebuild their livelihood in Quang Binh and Thua Thien Hue province.

For more information, please contact Gillian Yeoh at Give2Asia at 415-743-3371 or by email at gyeoh@give2asia.org.