Aid coming to 10,000 typhoon-hit families

World Vision, is sending relief assistance to families worst hit by Typhoon Odette (internationally known as Rai) in the provinces of Surigao, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu and Negros Occidental.

“We’ve already mobilized our prepositioned goods to initially reach families in Surigao, Bohol and Cebu late this week and early next week. We are targeting to provide immediate assistance to nearly 3,000 families that World Vision visited. These are families whose communities are worst hit by Typhoon Odette and immediate recovery is difficult,” Ajab Macapagat, World Vision’s Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs Director, says. Macapagat is currently in Leyte helping in the assessment.

World Vision aims to provide relief assistance to 10,000 families in the aforementioned provinces in Mindanao and Visayas.

Depending on the communities’ expressed need, World Vision’s relief assistance may include hygiene kits, blankets, mosquito nets, kitchen items, and water purification, to name a few.

World Vision has mobilized its assessment teams three days after Typhoon Odette made landfall in Surigao on December 16.

Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) made nine destructive landfalls in the country, affecting Visayas and portions of Mindanao.

Latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reports that about 500,000 families are affected, and more than 100,000 displaced and currently leaving in evacuation centers. Many of the villages are still without drinking source, electricity and communication signal.

To hasten relief assistance, rescue and rehabilitation, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared on Tuesday, December 21, the State of Calamity in 6 Regions ravaged by Typhoon Odette. The regions include Regions MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and CARAGA.

Duterte signed Proclamation No. 1267 late Tuesday night upon the recommendation of the NDRRMC.

A declaration of State of Calamity will help local government units to utilize appropriate funds for the continuation of basic services to affected populations. The declaration will also control prices of basic goods and commodities, among others.