Aid Rushed to the Philippines in Wake of Deadly Typhoon

Kristin Wright | Open Doors USA | Published: Nov 12, 2013

Aid Rushed to the Philippines in Wake of Deadly Typhoon

With the current official death toll at 1,774 and climbing, and more than 650,000 people displaced, survivors of deadly Super Typhoon Haiyan are grappling with the daily horror of devastation.

“Even to walk down the road is extremely difficult. You're climbing over cars and buses that have been tossed by the wind and swept in by the storm surge,” according to ABC's South-East Asia correspondent Zoe Daniel.

“There are still bodies littering the sides of the roads that have not been collected. People are sheltering under whatever they can find. There's a real sense of frustration among people because they don't have enough food, they don't have enough water.”

Aid groups from around the world are converging on the Philippines, with the United Nations launching a $300 million aid appeal worldwide.

“The damage is extensive. Some areas the whole cities are missing or very badly damaged,” says Patrick Seger, team leader for Samaritan’s Purse response on the ground in the Philippines. “Many areas hardest hit are without electricity, without water, they are without food. These people are really struggling at this point and need everything.”

“Right now, we don't have enough water,” storm survivor Roselda Sumapit told CNN in Tacloban. The water she has access to might not be clean, but she explained, “We still drink it, because we need to survive.”

One typhoon survivor, Magina Fernandez, was attempting to evacuate Tacloban at the city's devastated airport. She described what she had witnessed as “worse than hell.” Fernandez pleaded for attention from the government and aid organizations. “Get international help to come here now – not tomorrow, now,” she said.

Get Involved:

Samaritan’s Purse
Convoy of Hope
Heart to Heart International
World Vision



Aid Rushed to the Philippines in Wake of Deadly Typhoon