World Vision has mobilized response team to carry initial emergency food and nonfood aid to some 243 families in the hardest hit village of Balulang in Cagayan de Oro. Relief aid consists of rice, ready-to-eat food items, canned goods, drinking water, blankets, sugar, choco drinks, sleeping mats, and hygiene kits. Water and ready-to-eat food are the most urgent needs of families who survived the fury of Typhoon Washi (local name Sendong).
Cramped in evacuation centers or camping out in the streets, survivors await rations of food from aid agencies to get by each day. No one expected that just days before Christmas, a horrible tragedy was waiting to happen.
“I will be celebrating my birthday on Christmas day… how I wish we’d have food to eat on that day…” shares 13-year-old Rosemarie whose family was devastated by the storm. Rosemarie and her 5 little siblings survived by climbing on the roof for safety. “Safety is the best Christmas and birthday gift I received”, says the grateful village teener.
Though faced with the bleak aftermath of the storm, Rosmarie still remains optimistic and finds a reason to keep smiling. You can help other young survivors such as Rosmarie! http://bit.ly/helpsurvivors
Death toll continues to rise and countless more remain missing, after Tropical Storm Sendong hit parts of Mindanao around last week. More than 950 bodies have been retrieved to date. Washi came in the dead of night engulfing homes and drowning people in their sleep. Flood waters rose rapidly trapping families and leaving them no time to run for safety. Typhoon Sendong is known to be the worst disaster to hit the city of Cagayan de Oro and nearby others in years.
"My mom was found dead. My father and two siblings are still missing," confides 13-year-old Remy. At the aftermath of the storm, lifeless bodies were found scattered in streets. People were in panic and shock trying to find missing family members amidst the mud and chaos. Remy is only one of thousands of families looking ahead to a bleak Christmas.
According to the local officials of Cagayan de Oro City, almost 70% of the city has no access to water because major pipelines were rendered useless by the flashfloods. Authorities added that it will take more than a month to fix this problem.
“Many families have damaged houses, properties and even lost their loved ones but we must move on. What the people need the most right now is water,” says Maurino Paasa, Barangay official. “
World Vision aims to provide survival relief packs to some 10,000 more families in the coming weeks, and is looking at setting up Child Friendly Spaces to provide psychosocial support to children in affected areas. If you would like to help bring hope through immediate relief this Christmas, click here: http://bitly.com/helpsurvivors
