(Photo by Food For The Hungry)
Philippines (MNN) ― Landslides
added misery to the typhoon wreckage in the Philippines. The United Nations wants $74 million USD to
help survivors.
When Typhoon Ketsana struck, over four million people were affected, including 340,000 displaced, according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council.
Debbie Toribio with Food For The Hungry says not only is there a crisis now, "it also devastated our agriculture. The province that was hit by the second typhoon is our rice granary. It's really bad because there will be a rice shortage."
The staff is working with Emergency Response Unit to meet immediate needs. They are purchasing and distributing food and other emergency supplies. Partner churches have also been mobilized to remove debris, fix broken houses and care for those who are injured.
However, there is so much more yet to do. They need help to feed and shelter hundreds of people more -- both in the short-term and the long-term.
"Most of the people are still needing food and other non-food items." But they have to work fast. "Some areas are still flooded up to the waist-level. Many people could not really work, and the spread of disease is starting."
The government issued a warning Wednesday of the probability of epidemics among the hundreds of thousands of people who are crammed into makeshift evacuation centers. In the hurriedly thrown-together camps, conditions are ripe for the outbreak of H1N1 flu, diarrhea and the bacterial disease leptospirosis.
FH has the infrastructure to distribute, monitor and re-cycle recovery loans to the most vulnerable and needy people while bolstering well-trained churches who are already responding.
Keep praying. Hearts are opening to the Gospel. "Some
of the churches, after the typhoon, were filled with people. It becomes an opportunity for us to really
share the love of God." If you can help, click here.
