Survivors of deadly Philippine typhoons need $46 million in aid – UN appeal

The United Nations today appealed for $46 million to meet urgent relief and early recovery needs over the next 12 months for the most vulnerable people in the Philippines among the millions affected by the four deadly typhoons that have hit the country since September, causing massive destruction through landslides and widespread flooding.

The typhoons, which affected almost eight million people across most of the country’s provinces, led to 942 deaths, 850 missing persons and left almost 3,000 people with injuries, according to the most recent Government figures. Nearly 440,000 people were displaced, with almost 200,000 still staying in over 650 evacuation centres.

“Throughout the affected areas, 512,000 homes have been completely destroyed, and a further 711,000 partially damaged, at an economic cost amounting to some $355 million. Infrastructure, agricultural crops, and schools have been damaged or destroyed, with losses estimated at $308 million,” the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a press release.

“Priority needs include emergency shelter items, food, clean drinking water, paediatric medicines, water and sanitation assistance, non-food relief, and generator sets for hospitals. In the appeal the top three requirements are for shelter, education, and health care.”

The four typhoons struck over a period of 10 weeks from 25 September to 9 December and initial emergency relief was made possible through an earlier grant of $2.6 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), OCHA pointed out. Of all disasters in the Philippines, typhoons claim the most lives.