^{By Aaron Aspi, Emergency Communications Specialist}

Iligan City, Misamis Oriental --- After being declared under National State of Calamity, looming and widespread devastation remains greatly felt in large portions of Iligan five days after Typhoon Washi struck. Torrential rains unleashed flashfloods and mudslides that hurled massive logs downstream, creating a path of destruction which left structures reduced to ruins. Barinaut bridge was split into half and entire villages near the riverside are wiped-out in Hinaplanon, where once thriving communities are now transformed into a barren wasteland.

Living conditions in evacuation centers are worsening.  Garbage are piling up and used water from the laundry and bathing area is under threat of becoming breeding ground for mosquitoes and possible sources of water-borne diseases.

_{Residents try to recover what they can in the mud left by Typhoon Sendong that left over a thousand dead. Send your help now!}

“Educating people on proper waste management would help prevent the spread of diseases in the evacuation centers,” shares Doc Yvonne Duque, World Vision Response point person for health, nutrition and child-well being.  Hygiene and sanitation are a growing concern in congested evacuation centers as dwindling supply of water prevents people from prioritizing the upkeep of their immediate surroundings.

World Vision is also working with local health authorities to ensure children get nutritious food.  “We’re now working with health authorities for the children’s supplemental feeding. Moreover,  encouraging mothers to breastfeed their babies further lowers the health risk caused by using feeding bottles that aren’t properly washed due to lack of water,” added Duque.

The basic nessecity of water is still needed in hard hit areas of Northern Mindanao, especially in Iligan City. Send your help now!

Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) are also set in Cagayan de Oro City today. Over 250 children are expected to participate in a 5-day workshop, designed to help children cope with their loss and grief after the tragic experience brought by the storm. 

Death toll continues to climb now reaching more than a thousand while hundreds are still missing. Remains found in retrieval operations are now laid to rest in a mass burial at the public cemetery. The combined stench coming from mud, dead bodies and livestock are causing further health concerns