Typhoon Fengshen

General situation

Typhoon Fengshen battered the Philippines for two days, sweeping across the Philippine archipelago with maximum winds of 120 km per hour and gusts of up to 150 km per hour. The typhoon left at least 229 people dead with more than 700 people still missing after a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of Sibuyan Island in Romblon.

As of 6:00am local time, June 22, 2008, the regions of IV-B, V, VI, VIII, IX, XII and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have been most impacted by the typhoon with 366,444 persons affected, reports the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC). Region IV, particularly the provinces of Iloilo, Negros, Occidental, Capiz, and possibly Romblon bore the brunt of the damage with more than half of the total displaced persons.

Heavy rainfall and a dam overflow flooded villages that were not prepared for the change of the typhoon’s direction, which was earlier predicted to hit eastern Visayas and southern Luzon. Houses, property and agricultural lands were damaged in one of the country’s major rice and food producing regions. Farming communities were completing or had just completed the planting season in the midst of a current rice crisis.

With major communication lines down and because the affected areas are islands of a considerable distance from the country’s capital, gathering reports and sending immediate relief assistance could be a challenge.

ACT response

National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)

NCCP, a member of ACT, has been monitoring the emergency situation in the affected areas through its member churches, regional ecumenical councils and local organisations. Requests for emergency food, clothing, temporary shelter and other non-food items have been received.

Requests for donations have been sent out to the NCCP member churches. As soon as  accurate data on the extent of damage to homes, farmlands, livelihood and other public infrastructures are released by the relevant government agencies and a damage and needs assessment is conducted by NCCP, an appropriate response will be planned and coordinated.

Christian Aid

ACT member, Christian Aid, is planning to assist affected communities in addressing the emergency and short term rehabilitation needs by working with its partners in coordination with other civil society organistions, churches, ecumenical bodies and other humanitarian actors.

Christian Aid has been working in the country through its partners for more than 20 years in both emergency and development programmes.

NCCP and Christian Aid will be further assessing needs and will likely be submitting a request to the ACT Coordinating Office for support from the ACT Rapid Response Fund, possibly followed by an appeal proposal.

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).