The strongest typhoon ever recorded to sweep through the Philippines has left a trail of massive destruction in its wake. Efforts are underway to organize aid for the hundreds of thousands of survivors who have been left homeless, are in a state of psychological distress, and have been starving for days. The international Food for Life team has already begun distributing food on the ground.
In the wake of the disaster, our nearby centers immediately sprang into action to organize how they could deliver food to the hardest-hit areas while adapting to the circumstances. The collection of necessary supplies and resources has begun. For now, they are primarily seeking experienced volunteers and monetary donations.
Our program coordinator, who was on site at one of the locations, sent the following report:
„In Tacloban and the surrounding areas, there is still no water or food; people are growing increasingly frustrated and are willing to do anything to get food, whether it’s stealing or looting. More than 1,600 bodies have been recovered so far, and thousands more people are still missing. Local authorities are planning mass burials for tomorrow. At the same time, countless people have already been buried along the roadsides.
Most of the villages in the area are completely inaccessible due to the destruction. Banks are closed everywhere, as are all other facilities. If possible, we would need as much money as we can get before we head to the hardest-hit areas so that we can continue our work there without interruption.
Cell service is very poor in these areas. The good news is that we already have large pots, gas cylinders, and a portable cooking stand.
There is a truly urgent need for our help—specifically, for the hot meals provided by the Food for Life program. We are already distributing food in less-affected areas, but we are now preparing to go to places where our help is needed much more urgently.
”Please send your donations as soon as possible."
We were also able to get in touch with another volunteer, who sees the situation as follows:
„First, we need to contact the army, who can guarantee our safety and help us get hot meals to the people. Second, we would need reliable vehicles to transport the food. The journey by land takes a day and a half, followed by a 12-hour boat trip. If we manage to get in touch with representatives of the military or the government, we could use helicopters to deliver food to the areas in the most dire straits, because it’s nearly impossible to reach them any other way.”
Hungarian citizens can support the food distribution effort in the Philippines by calling the 13600 donation hotline and dialing code 33, with each call contributing 250 Ft (gross).
For other amounts, please send your donations to account number 10201006-50280757-00000000.
Thank you for your contributions!