Typhoon devastation in Tacloban

Posted on Nov 10 2013 - 7:43pm by Randy Gener  | http://thejournalist.ie

EDITOR’S NOTE: Be 100 percent sure you know the organizations you are donating to. Don’t be fooled. Please scroll down to see two comprehensive lists of the correct relief aid organizations working to help typhoon victims: one list is made up of Philippine organizations, and the other list consists of international groups.

Filipinos are still trying to comprehend the extent of the destruction that Typhoon Haiyan left in its wake as it barreled across the South China Seas this weekend. Reports say that as many as 10,000 people may have died when one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded destroyed entire villages and devastated cities with huge waves and winds of nearly 150 mph.

Almost 350,000 people are reported displaced from their homes. Houses and buildings were torn to pieces. Dead bodies hung from tree branches, with others scattered along sidewalks and among flattened buildings. Hospitals are overrun with patients. Medical supplies are running out. Looting of grocery stores and gas stations were reported as people search for food, fuel and water.

As of this time, many of the affected places in the central Philippines are still out of electricity and telecommunication.

The Philippine Government is still in the process of conducting damage assessment in the affected areas.  The government was able to evacuate pre-emptively a total of 151,910 families (748,572 persons).

The Philippine Red Cross has estimated that at least 1,200 people were killed by Haiyan, but the full death toll could be significantly higher as officials make their way to remote, nearly inaccessible places pummeled by the storm.

Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez told CNN it is “entirely possible” that 10,000 people may have died in the storm in Leyte province.

“People here were convinced that it looked like a tsunami,” Romualdez told CNN.

Brian Goldbeck, acting ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, issued a disaster declaration to provide an immediate $100,000 for relief efforts. Officials from the U.S. Agency for International Development are deployed around the country to monitor the damage.

As the full impact of the typhoon is assessed, children are expected to be among the most affected. Some 1.7 million children are believed to be living in the areas in the typhoon’s path, according to UNICEF.

“UNICEF’s first priorities are focused on life-saving interventions — getting essential medicines, nutrition supplies, safe water and hygiene supplies to children and families,” said UNICEF’s representative in the Philippines, Tomoo Hozumi, in a statement.

Even by Philippine standards, the destruction across the islands was catastrophic and widespread. For a time, storm clouds covered the entire Philippines, stretching 1,120 miles (1,800 kilometers) — the distance between Florida and Canada — and tropical storm-force winds covered an area the size of Germany.

Haiyan raced across the eastern and central Philippines, inflicting serious damage to at least six of the archipelago’s more than 7,000 islands, with Leyte, neighbouring Samar Island, and the northern part of Cebu appearing to take the hardest hit. It weakened as it crossed the South China Sea before approaching northern Vietnam. It was forecast to hit land Monday morning.

Tacloban, in the east-central Philippines, is near the Red Beach on Leyte Island where U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur waded ashore in 1944 during the World War II and fulfilled his famous pledge: “I shall return.”

It was the first city liberated from the Japanese by U.S. and Filipino forces and served as the Philippines’ temporary capital for several months. It is also the hometown of former Filipino first lady Imelda Marcos, whose nephew, Alfred Romualdez, is the city’s mayor.

Members of the public who wish to send relief assistance may contact or donate to the Philippines-based organizations listed below which are deploying urgent relief efforts on the islands. This list came from the Philippine Consulate General in New York City, which said, “Please be informed that monetary donations are most flexible and would therefore be appreciated by NDRRMC, Philippine Red Cross or DSWD.”

See how you can help:

1. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (NDRRMC)
Account name: NDRRMC Donated Funds
Acount Numbers: 0435-021927-030 (Peso Account); 0435-021927-530 (Dollar Account); Swift Code: DBPHPHMM Acount #36002016
Address: Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Camp Aguinaldo Branch, PVAO Compound, Camp Aguinaldo Quezon City, Philippines 1110
Contact Person: Ms. Rufina A. Pascual, Collecting Officer NDRRMC, Office of Civil Defense, Camp Aguinaldo, Q.C.
Contact Nos. (632) 421-1920; 911-5061 up to 65 local 116
Email: accounting@ocd.gov.ph; website www.ndrrmc.gov.ph

2. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)
Account No: 3124-0055-81
Bank Branch Address: Land Bank of the Philippines, Batasan, Quezon City, Philippines
Contact Person: Ms. Fe Catalina Ea, Cash Division
Contact Nos: (632) 931-8101 local 226; cellphone (632) 918-628-1897
Website: www.dswd.gov.ph

3. Philippine National Red Cross (PRC) said it has mobilized teams on the ground to help with rescue and relief operations.

Website: www.redcorss.org.ph

Tel: (642) 527-0000
Banco De Oro Philippine National Bank
Peso: 00-453-0018647 Peso: 3752-8350-0034
Dollar: 10-453-0039482 Dollar: 3752-8350-0042
Swift Code: BNORPHMM Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

Metrobank Unionbank of the Philippines
Peso: 151-3-041631228 Peso: 1015-4000-0201
Dollar: 151-2-15100218-2 Dollar: 1315-4000-0090
Swift Code: MBTCPHMM Swift Code: UBPHPHMM

4. Handang Tumulong Foundation, Inc. (HTFI), New Jersey

Handang Tumulong is a 501 c(3) tax-exempt organization (Tax ID: 27-1805860) and donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. You can make your donation payable to Handang Tumulong Foundation, and mail it to P.O. Box 2743 Fair Lawn, NJ 07410. Please indicate in your check that the donation is meant for the victim of Typhoon Yolanda.

via Google

International organizations are also deploying relief efforts:

1) The American Red Cross has launched a family tracing service among other aid operations. If you are unable to reach a family member in the Philippines, you can contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross to initiate a tracing case. Representatives added that it has deployed two people to assist with assessments in the Philippines. It asks those who want to support relief efforts to mail a check to their local American Red Cross chapter, with “Philippines Typhoons and Flood” in the memo line. Go to redcross.org for local chapter information or redcross.org.ph to donate directly to the Philippine Red Cross.

2) UNICEF is taking donations to help provide children with shelter, clean water, nutrition and vaccines. Representatives said its staff in the Philippines is being repositioned to help in relief efforts and 66 tons of emergency supplies are being sent from Copenhagen. An airlift set to arrive on Tuesday will include water purification systems, storage equipment and sanitation supplies. Donations can be made to UNICEF at unicef.org/support.

3) World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations organization, said it will send more than 40 tons of high energy biscuits and work with the Filipino government to help with logistics and emergency communications systems. Representatives said they have allocated $2 million for the disaster response and officials joined an assessment mission to survey damage in Leyte and Samar provinces. It asks for donations at www.wfpusa.org or by texting the word AID to 27722 to instantly donate $10.

4) Save the Children is mounting disaster relief efforts to help children and families in the region with emergency assistance.

5) Catholic Relief Services is accepting donations on its website as it begins moving supplies and staff to respond to the typhoon.

6) World Vision said it will provide food and water to those in evacuation shelters. Representative said it is putting together resources to assist 1.2 million people, including food, hygiene kits, emergency shelter and protection. It asked for one-time donations to be made at worldvision.org.

7) Habitat for Humanity plans to offer shelter repair kits for families who need to re-build their damaged houses.

8) Operation USA said it will allocate donations directly to relief and recovery efforts.

9) National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) has created a disaster relief fund for victims in the Philippines.

10) The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has begun collecting donations for relief efforts. To contribute, go to www.jdc.org or call 212-687-6200.

11) Google has also launched a person finder.