ACT in Worst-Hit Areas of Manila
NEWS STORY: Sandra Cox UPDATED: September 30, 2009
PHOTO: REUTERS/John Javellana (PHILIPPINES DISASTER SOCIETY ENVIRONMENT)
MANILA (ACT) — The Philippines, September 30, 2200hr
The death toll in the storm that lashed the Philippines has risen sharply to 240, according to government figures, with threats of worse weather later this week.
Tropical Storm Ketsana tore across the Philippines four days ago, demolishing or flooding thousands of homes and leaving 80 percent of Manila under water.
The Philippine Government’s national disaster coordinating council today confirmed the number of dead and said 37 others were missing. The council says a total of 1.87 million people were affected by the storm and flooding. Up to 375,000 people are staying in 600 evacuation centres.
Working in mud and debris, ACT International members are mobilizing support to their local partners and churches which are on the ground distributing relief in the affected communities.
Clinging to barbed wire
Minnie Anne Calub, an ACT International aid worker, said her brother narrowly escaped the raging waters of collapsed river protection wall and was forced to spend a day and night on the roof of a neighbour’s house. The whole community was left under water as high the electricity posts. “One of my brothers was beside the wall that cracked. His single–storeyed house was totally submerged but they were able to get to a neighbour’s house with a third floor and had to stay there for 26 hours.”
Another man had to cling to a barbed wire fence while Minnie Anne Calub’s brother and other men hauled him to safety.
This is one of the areas ACT International is targeting that has not received relief from government agencies or other organizations. However, access is hindered by knee-high mud around the town.
ACT International is also at a massive rubbish dump on the outskirts of Manila that is home to thousands of the cities’ poorest people. Already at risk of disease in the insanitary conditions, life on the Payatas dump is worse in the aftermath of Ketsana.
“So many houses were washed out. Because of the heavy rain their shanties and small houses were already vulnerable to being destroyed.”
Their houses are under threat of demolition by local government. “One of the problems in this community is that people live in really risky places but because of the lack of finances to get a house or a piece of land outside the dump, they have to stay there,” Minnie Anne Calub says.
Handing out relief assistance
Minnie Anne Calub says plenty of ACT International volunteers have been out surveying the affected areas and assessing the needs of people left homeless or struggling to survive. Youth members of churches are giving out biscuits, clothes and other food items. ACT International has also been delivering clean water, mosquito nets and cooking equipment to families who have lost everything. On Thursday, ACT International members will gather to discuss further relief efforts across the region.
In some areas around Manila, waters have receded but other areas remain cut off. Fishing communities 70km from Manila have not received food aid. However, elsewhere initial relief efforts, such as distribution of food, clean water, medical equipment has taken place.
The Philippines Government has requested help from the international community as supplies are reducing the country is threatened by further bad weather later this week.
