The Philippines need your help

[nancyk58]

From text-TV on Danish DR1: TROPICAL STORM HITS THE PHILIPPINES

 

About 50,000 have left their homes in the Philippines due to the TROPICAL STORM "MEARI". They are now in evacuation centers / camps.

 

The storm brings torrential rain resulting in submerged roads. Last night, 3,200 left their homes in the capital - MANILA.

 

The heavy rain has continued for many days. The rain gained strength on Thursday. That has increased the risk of floods and mudslides.

[nancyk58]

Text-TV news on German ZDFtext: 50,000 FILIPPINO FLEEING TROPICAL STORM "MEARI"

 

In Marikina, a suburb of the capital, Manila, 25,000 are now living in evacuation camps / centers. 15 are reported missing.

 

There has been HEAVY RAIN in the Philippines for one week now.

 

Saturday the storm headed for CHINA.

[nancyk58]

AVALANCHE KILLS 6 MOUNTAINEERS IN THE FRENCH ALPS

 

The 6 victims - all of unknown nationality so far - were hit by an avalanche of snow and stones Saturday at Neige Cordier in an altitude of 2,700 m, and the dead bodies were found today = Sunday and later evacuated by helicopter to the nearby village Villar d'Arene.

 

THE PHILIPPINES: UN warns against the outbreak of pneumonia and diarrhoea among almost ½ million children who have fled massive floods and are now living in evacuation camps since the start of the Rio Grande flood.

 

From text-TV on Swedish SVT on 26.5.11

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14293229

 

26 July 2011 Last updated at 14:21 GMT

 

Tropical storm Nock-ten lashes Philippines

 

A powerful storm has hit the Philippines, killing at least nine people and forcing thousands to flee their homes.

 

Tropical storm Nock-ten unleashed floods and landslides along eastern areas of Luzon island.

 

Evacuations are continuing as floods are reported to have deluged the houses of about 500,000 people.

 

The storm hit Camarines Norte province earlier with gusts of 56mph (90 km/h) and is moving north-westwards.

 

A regional disaster-response official described it as the province's worst flooding in five years.

 

Army troops and coast guard personnel were being deployed to rescue people stranded on rooftops, said Bernardo Alejandro, adding that a main road was blocked by floodwaters and mudflows.

 

In Albay province, Governor Joey Salceda said fatalities there included three children killed in a landslide in a mountainside village, while two men were struck by a falling tree.

 

As the rains started overnight, many people tried to reach safer areas, including churches and village halls, he said.

 

"Many of our towns seemed like islands. They were isolated from each other," Mr Salceda was quoted by the Associated Press as saying.

 

Mr Salceda earlier put the number of evacuees in his province at 70,000.

 

The storm is expected to hit eastern Quezon province early on Wednesday then pass through the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga just north of the Philippine capital.

 

Schools have been closed in Manila and nearby provinces, and about 20 local flights have been cancelled.

[nancyk58]

PHILIPPINES: AT LEAST 31 DEAD DUE TO THE TROPICAL STORM NAMED "NOCK-TEN"

 

At least 31 died due to the tropical storm "Nock-Ten" on the Phillippines. According to information given by the government, 27 people are still missing today / Thursday. 36 are injured in several provinces in storm-related accidents.

 

Vast areas are flooded, towns are under water and numerous roads were buried as a consequence of the landslides.

 

More than 600,000 fled out of their houses.

 

The bad weather started at the beginning of the week with heavy rains on the East coast.

 

Source: Text-TV on German TV station 2 - ZDF Text

[nancyk58]

Typhoon Muifa is expected to make landfall in China on Saturday night or early on Sunday.

 

Muifa was moving west after its heavy rains prompted flight cancellations and blackouts in Okinawa on Friday, according to Japan's Meteorological Agency.

 

The typhoon had already passed north of the Philippines, where combined storms and monsoon rain caused flooding.

 

On Wednesday night, Muifa was downgraded from a super typhoon - measuring 185km/h (114mph) or more - to a severe typhoon, but it is still expected to be one of the most powerful storms to hit China in recent years.

 

 

EDIT on 7.8.11:

 

Muifa has already left four people dead in the Philippines ( from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14420501 )

[nancyk58]

German text-TV / ZDFtext: AT LEAST 7 KILLED BY TYPHOON IN THE PHILIPPINES

 

 

The typhoon "Nanmadol" has triggered landslides following enormous amounts of rain in the Philippines. At least 7 died on Saturday, and 6 are missing.

 

Almost 50,000 had fled the typhoon in the northern and eastern Philippines.

 

"Nanmadol" reached maximum speeds of up to 170 km per hour. Several bridges and roads were impassable. According to meteorologists, the typhoon will continue to sweep the Philippines until Tuesday.

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14705194

 

29 August 2011 Last updated at 08:08 GMT

 

TAIWAN drenched as Tropical Storm Nanmadol sweeps in

 

Torrential rains and fierce winds have hit south-east Taiwan causing extensive disruption, as Tropical Storm Nanmadol swept over the island.

 

Thousands of people were evacuated and there were reports of flooding and power cuts across the region.

 

Taiwan had deployed 35,000 troops to prepare for the storm's onslaught, but there were no reports of serious damage as the storm's intensity diminished.

 

 

It had already wrought havoc in the PHILIPPINES, leaving at least 12 dead. (DR1: at least 16 reported dead in the PHILIPPINES).

 

 

Tropical Storm Nanmadol - downgraded from a typhoon - brought winds of 135 km/h (84mph), but it largely skirted the island. Taipei escaped the brunt of the storm.

 

Nevertheless schools and government offices remained closed in many areas across the island. Many domestic flights were also cancelled.

 

About 30,000 households in southern and eastern Taiwan lost power, the AP news agency reports, while heavy rains closed many roads and bridges.

 

The region most severely affected by the storm was southern Pingtung county, where civilian defence teams had to rescue people from areas inundated by flash floods.

 

The storm is now headed for the south-eastern coast of China.

 

 

When the typhoon hit the PHILIPPINES last week, powerful winds and rain triggered floods and landslides, blocking major roads and destroying several bridges.

 

Among the victims there were two children killed when a rubbish tip wall collapsed in the northern mountain city of Baguio.

[nancyk58]

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/233497/nation/pedring-makes-landfall-roars-across-luzon

 

Updated 11:12 a.m. - Typhoon "Pedring" (international name: Nesat) made landfall in northeastern Luzon early on Tuesday morning but PAGASA warned that nearly all of Luzon will be affected by the typhoon's heavy winds and rain. Classes up to the tertiary level have been suspended in Metro Manila and in some provinces. The typhoon is expected to exit Luzon by Tuesday afternoon.

 

Pedring makes landfall, roars across Luzon

 

09/27/2011 | 07:11 AM

 

(Updated 12:33 p.m.) - Typhoon Pedring (international name: Nesat) made landfall over the boundary of Aurora and Isabela provinces early Tuesday morning, knocking out power lines and causing outages in a wide area of Luzon, officials said.

 

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that nearly all of Luzon will be affected by the typhoon's heavy winds and rain throughout the day. The weather bureau said provinces along the "trackline" of Pedring are Aurora, Quirino, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, and La Union provinces.

 

Before dawn Tuesday, Metro Manila experienced strong winds that knocked out power in some areas, felled trees, and scattered debris that have littered roads. Along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, at least 10 trees were uprooted by fierce winds and blocked the normally busy thoroughfare early Tuesday, according to a report on GMA News TV's "News to Go."

 

PAGASA also issued a gale warning in other parts of the country. "Strong to gale force wind is expected to affect the seaboards of Visayas and the Western seaboard of Mindanao," it warned.

 

Govt work, classes suspended

 

Malacañang on Tuesday ordered the suspension of work in government offices in Metro Manila and some parts of Luzon due to Typhoon Pedring.

 

"No government work today except for emergency and NDRRMC (National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council) related services," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a text message to reporters.

 

He said the suspension on government work covers the National Capital Region, Regions 1, 2, 3, Cordillera Administrative Region, Batangas, Cavite, Rizal and Laguna.

 

Classes in the tertiary level in all the areas that Lacierda mentioned were also suspended.

 

The Department of Education earlier suspended all classes from elementary to high school in Metro Manila on Tuesday.

 

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) also announced that the Men's Senior Basketball finals game scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday is suspended, after earlier announcing that it will push through.

 

However, the Women's and Juniors' basketball games proceeded as scheduled.

 

The Finals game between the Ateneo Blue Eagles and the Far Eastern University Tamaraws is rescheduled for Saturday, October 1.

 

Storm alerts

 

PAGASA raised the following storm alerts in various provinces as of 5 a.m. Tuesday:

 

Signal No.3 (100-185 kph winds)

 

Ilocos Norte

 

Ilocos Sur

 

Abra

 

Apayao

 

Kalinga

 

Mt. Province

 

Cagayan

 

Isabela

 

Ifugao

 

Benguet

 

La Union

 

Nueva Viscaya

 

Quirino

 

Aurora

 

Nueva Ecija

 

Tarlac

 

Pangasinan

 

Zambales

 

Signal No. 2 (60-100 kph winds)

 

Pampanga

 

Bulacan

 

Bataan

 

Rizal

 

Northern Quezon

 

Polillo is.

 

Cavite

 

Laguna

 

Batangas

 

Lubang is.

 

Babuyan

 

Calayan group of islands

 

Metro Manila

 

 

Signal No. 1 (45-60 kph winds)

 

Batanes

 

Oriental Mindoro

 

Occidental Mindoro

 

Marinduque

 

Burias Is.

 

Camarines Norte

 

Camarines Sur

 

Albay

 

Southern Quezon

 

Catanduanes

 

Calamian group of Is.

 

Romblon group of islands

 

According to PAGASA, the fast-moving typhoon is expected to be out of the land mass of Luzon by Tuesday afternoon. "Pedring" is expected to exit the country towards the South China Sea by Wednesday afternoon.

 

HS/VVP/YA, GMA News

 

 

RELATED STORIES ( can be read on http://www.gmanews.tv )

 

» 4 Luzon dams release water — PAGASA

» US Embassy to remain closed until Wednesday, Sept. 28

» Alarm Level 3 up in Marikina as river level breaches 17 meters

» Storm surge from Manila Bay floods Roxas Blvd, now impassable

» Typhoon Pedring slightly weakens, crosses NLuzon

» DOH on Code White alert for 'Pedring' casualties

 

 

Swedish text-tv / SVT: PHILIPPINES: At least 5 people have been washed away and are feared dead since typhoon NESAT hit the main island of LUZON.The capital MANILA is paralyzed. Schools and work places are closed.

 

The collective traffic has stopped, and the stock exchange trading has been suspended.

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15070550

 

27 September 2011 Last updated at 06:59 GMT

 

Powerful Typhoon Nesat hits Philippines

 

A powerful typhoon has struck the Philippines, triggering floods, cutting power and halting work in the capital Manila.

 

Typhoon Nesat also forced the closure of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the US embassy in the city.

 

At least two people were killed and another four were reported missing.

 

As the storm approached, the authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 people in the central Albay province.

 

The typhoon is expected to continue across the country, before blowing across the South China Sea towards southern China on Thursday.

 

Fishermen missing

 

Nesat made landfall just before dawn on Tuesday in the eastern Isabela and Aurora provinces on the Pacific coast.

 

The storm - with wind gusts of up to 170km/h (105mph) - is now making its way across the island of Luzon, the BBC's Kate McGeown in the central Luzon province of Zambales reports.

 

Many roads have been flooded and flights cancelled, and local media are urging people against non-essential travel, our correspondent says.

 

In Manila, government offices, schools and universities were closed, as the authorities urged city residents to stay indoors.

 

Officials warn that low-lying areas of the capital are particularly vulnerable to flooding and landslides.

 

There were reports of one landslide just north of Manila and another in central Luzon.

 

At least two people died, including a baby who fell into a swollen river in the central province of Catanduanes.

 

Four fishermen are missing, and more than 50 more have been rescued after their boats capsized in rough seas.

 

There are fears that the death toll would rise further.

 

Meteorologists also warn that huge - 12ft (4m) - waves are expected to slam the shoreline.

 

"The damage is expected to be big," Richard Gordon, head of the Philippines National Red Cross, told the BBC.

 

"Right now there are already power interruptions. Our agriculture will again be damaged here. And certainly in terms of infrastructure there are some bridges that are flooded right now."

 

Earlier, about 110,000 people in several towns of the Albay province were ordered to leave their homes and seek shelter elsewhere.

 

"We can't manage typhoons, but we can manage their effects," provincial Governor Joey Salceda was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

 

The Philippines suffers frequent typhoons - but Nesat is thought to be the largest this year.

 

"This typhoon is very wide in diameter, about 650km, and covers most of Luzon," Graciano Yumul, who supervises the country's weather bureau, told reporters.

 

It comes almost exactly two years after Typhoon Ketsana killed more than 400 people.

 

 

Swedish text-TV/SVT + Danish TV2 News: Death toll risen to 7 in the Philippines including 3 children.

[nancyk58]

Swedish text-TV / SVT:

 

MORE THAN 35 DIED AND FIFTY-SOMETHING MISSING IN THE PHILIPPINES FOLLOWING TYPHOON PEDRING (with the international name of NESAT)

 

The typhoon is approaching HONGKONG and MACAU where the authorities, markets, businesses / shops and schools are closed up to the arrival of the typhoon.

 

From there the typhoon will move on across southern CHINA.

[nancyk58]

The PHILIPPINES HIT BY THE SECOND TYPHOON IN ONE WEEK

 

With winds up to 195 km per hour, typhoon Nalgae made landfall in the northern Philippines this Saturday.

 

The tropical storm hit the border region of the provinces Isabela and Aurora.

 

400,000 have been forced to leave their homes.

 

Last Tuesday, typhoon Nesat made landfall in the same region. About 1 million people were affected by the typhoon. At least 50 died, and 31 are still missing.

 

The damage to the infrastructure and in the agriculture has been estimated at at least 100 million Euro.

 

Sources: Danish TV2 News live + German text-TV / ZDFtext

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15135050

 

1 October 2011 Last updated at 14:26 GMT

 

Typhoon Nalgae batters flood-hit Philippines

 

The second typhoon to hit the Philippines in less than a week has been battering northern areas, with ferocious winds and heavy rain.

 

At least one person died as Typhoon Nalgae hit regions still waterlogged by the earlier storm Nesat, and officials warned of flash floods and landslides.

 

Nalgae crossed the main island Luzon, but weakened as it headed west toward the South China Sea.

 

The Philippines suffers frequent typhoons, about 20 a year.

 

Nalgae made landfall in the eastern province of Isabela on Saturday. At it strongest it was packing winds of up to 195km/h (121mph).

 

It is now expected to gather strength again over the sea as it moves towards China's Hainan island and Vietnam. Heavy wind and rain is expected in the Philippines for another 48 hours.

 

A woman was killed in Mountain Province when a landslide engulfed the minibus she was travelling in. A second person was injured.

 

In Isabela, power supplies were switched off as winds toppled trees and blew off roofs.

 

In Luna township, a bus carrying 30 people turned over in a rice field but no-one was hurt, the Associated Press reported.

 

Misery compounded

 

The storm is taking much the same route as Typhoon Nesat which hit the country on Tuesday leaving at least 52 people dead and thousands homeless.

 

Tens of thousands of residents have moved into evacuation centres or the homes of relatives or friends, but many areas are still heavily flooded from the earlier storm.

 

With more heavy rains expected, officials fear that floods resulting from the second hurricane will compound the misery of more than a million people still trapped after the first.

 

Several towns remain submerged, and the BBC's Kate McGeown in Manila says many residents are still on rooftops awaiting rescue from the first storm.

 

"I hope the [Nesat] floods will wash out to Manila Bay before the [Nalgae] runoff hits the area," disaster management chief Benito Ramos said, quoted by AFP news agency.

 

"If the latter catches up to the former, there won't be any rooftops left to see above the floodwaters."

 

Provincial disaster official Raul Agustin told ABS-CBN television that marooned flood victims were often reluctant to leave for fear their homes would be looted.

 

"When we send out rescue teams to help them, they ask for food instead," he said.

[nancyk58]

THE WATER LEVEL OF THE FILIPPINO ISLAND OF LUZON IS RISING after cloudbursts in connection with typhoon Nalgae that ravaged the Philippines Saturday.

 

Rescue teams are trying to evacuate ten thousands of people trapped in their homes / on rooftops.

 

Source: Swedish SVT

 

 

AT LEAST 55 DEAD AFTER 2 TYPHOONS THAT HIT THE PHILIPPINES IN ONE WEEK

 

Nesat that hit the Philippines last Tuesday cost 52 human lives, whereas Nalgae cost 3 human lives. Nalgae moved across the South Chinese Sea and is now heading towards China.

 

Source: German ZDFtext

[nancyk58]

NEWS IN RELATION TO THE PHILIPPINES ON 3 OCTOBER 2011

 

 

MANY PLACES / AREAS CUT OFF AFTER THE 2 RECENT TYPHOONS IN THE PHILIPPINES

 

Numerous people are still trapped on the rooftops of their houses after the tropical storms in the Philippines. Some areas remain cut off from the outside world. The authorities asked for additional rescue teams and more boats to save the trapped people. At least 15 villages remain cut off.

 

The emergency shelters are already full and there is no space to house additional families.

 

Within a couple of days the Philippines were hit by 2 typhoons - Nesat and Nalgae. At least 59 human lives were lost in connection with the ravaging of the 2 typhoons .

 

Source: German text-TV / ZDFtext

[sp★rkle]

Good day to all my fellow Coldplayers!

 

As you may have read from the previous posts, majority of the populated areas in the Philippines (Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan where I live and Pampanga where my mum is from) are still flooded and we were informed by the National Disaster Coordinating Council that the flood won't dry up in the next month. That being said, evacuees could not go back to their homes, some people are still trapped in the roof of their homes, some are missing and it breaks my heart to say this but there are people dying of sepsis, drowning and hypothermia. Other areas are still isolated and there are some reported dead. :cry:

 

I don't say these to pity us, I see these people everyday still with a smile on their faces especially now that the sun is up and shining. But I am appealing to your kind hearts to donate in-kind if you can (medicines, ready to eat food, water and for personal grooming), our resources are starting to finish up. It has been two years since we were in a state of calamity and a lot of people here helped, and for that I know that God will bless you a hundredfold.

 

Thank you for your time reading this and let's join hands and hearts and pray for a more peaceful world!

 

P.S: Nancy, thank you for all your help, I could never trouble you enough with all of these.

[sp★rkle]

LATEST NEWS FROM THE PHILIPPINES REGARDING THE 2 TYPHOONS:

 

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/71533/6-more-bodies-from-‘pedring’-‘quiel’-found—ndrrmc

 

MANILA, Philippines – Weeks after Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” battered the northern part of Luzon, six more bodies were recovered by rescuers, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday.

 

Five of the six bodies were victims of Pedring while the last was Quiel’s.

 

Pedring’s additional fatalities were identified as Burias Delizo, 18, and Jeric Pelibello, 32, both from Nueva Vizcaya; and Rosalina Cordita, 59 of Nueva Ecija. The two others have yet to be identified by the Department of Health, the report said.

 

Meanwhile, the fatality from Quiel was identified as Jerry Caliguiran, 27 from Region 2 (Cagayan).

All died from drowning, the NDRRMC said.

 

With the latest discovery, the death toll from the two typhoons is now at 71, it said.

 

It also said that 26 persons are still missing – 25 from Pedring and one from Quiel.

 

The number of families affected by Pedring has increased to over 115,000 from 96,000 while 41,000 was recorded for Quiel from 12,000, the NDRRMC said.

 

NDRRMC said that from joint resources of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, local government units, and non-government organizations, the government has released over P96 million worth of combined relief assistance for those affected by the two typhoons.

 

Meanwhile, 67 bridges and road sections are still impassable in Regions I (Ilocos), II (Cagayan), III (Central Luzon) and in the Cordillera Administrative Region, it said.

 

Several municipalities – Amulong in Cagayan; Obando and Calumpit in Bulacan; Dinalupan in Cagayan; and Noveleta in Cavite – remain under a state of calamity.

[nancyk58]

THE DEATH TOLL IN THE PHILIPPINES AFTER THE RAVAGING OF 2 TYPHOONS HAS RISEN TO 101

 

27 are reported missing.

 

Nesat hit the Philippines on the 27 September followed by Nalgae on 1 October.

 

Source: Swedish text-TV / SVT Text

[Tonsu]

Oh, I've only just caught up with this news (sorry Nancy I am very late with catching up with email), and I'm so shocked and sorry to read about it...

 

sp★rkle, are donations still needed (I am sure they are)? If so, where do you think is best for me to donate?

[nancyk58]

^ A few days ago Sparkle sent me this news in relation to the Philippines per visitor message:

 

Everything is stable now, but we are still expecting at least 4 more typhoons until christmas.

 

The places I've mentioned before are still flooded and outreach programs are still on-going. Some already went back to their homes trying to save what they still can.

 

I contacted Danish Red Cross and got a reply saying that the local (= Filipino) Red Cross was so far handling this.

[nancyk58]

UNICEF sends emergency supplies to flood affected areas in Philippines

 

http://www.unicef.org/emerg/media_60001.html

 

BULACAN, Philippines, 6 October 2011 – UNICEF Philippines today delivered 3,000 hygiene kits and 3,000 water kits to stricken families in Bulacan and Pampanga through the local government units and DSWD Central Luzon Office. UNICEF Philippines Country Representative Vanessa Tobin together with an emergency team is visiting the area to assess the situation and better understand the situation of children and families on the ground.

 

“I'm impressed by the effective organisation of many local government workers alongside NGOs and private sector,” said UNICEF Country Representative Vanessa Tobin as they visited flooded areas in Bulacan and Pampanga. “Supplies are getting through but we need to be vigilant to monitor childhood diseases as well as getting schools reopened and getting children back to learning.”

 

With communication and power lines down and access to flooded areas difficult, food, emergency shelter, medical supplies, water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH) and non-food items are the most urgent needs.

 

UNICEF distributed water kits composed of water containers, pails and water purification tablets, and hygiene kits composed of water jugs, nail cutters, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and sanitary napkins.

 

"Large areas of stagnant water are a danger in many ways: risks of dengue, risks of diarrhea and other infectious diseases are a big threat to young children.” said Tobin.

 

UNICEF is participating in a joint needs assessment today (Thursday) with the government to better assess the nutrition and water and sanitation needs of families affected by the floods. UNICEF also plans to conduct a rapid needs assessment in Region 2, to further understand the situation of children and women in Cagayan and Isabela. UNICEF is in close coordination with the government and emergency response groups to provide basic supplies and services.

 

Typhoon Nalgae, locally known as Quiel, hit the Philippines on 1 October and traced its path over the devastation left by Typhoon Nesat (locally known as Pedring) on 28 September across northern and central Luzon.

 

Sixteen provinces were affected by Typhoon Nalgae in four Regions, which were hit four days earlier by Typhoon Nesat (Pedring) that affected 34 Provinces. The eight hardest hit areas by Typhoon Nalgae were Bulacan, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Ifugao, Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Quirino and Aurora Provinces. Around 1.5 million children are affected by both typhoons.

 

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported a total of 59 typhoon related deaths this past week, four deaths from Typhoon Nalgae and 55 deaths from Typhoon Nesat, as of 4 October.

 

Flood waters have receded in the majority of the typhoon affected areas.

 

However, isolated areas due to floods remain in Bulacan and Pangasinan Provinces that were hardest hit by Typhoon Nalgae on 1 October. In Bulacan Province, NDRRMC confirmed that four Municipalities remain under water including Calumpit (29 Barangay), Hagonoy (26 Barangay), Pulilan (4 Barangay) and Paombong (14 Barangay).

 

 

About UNICEF

UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. For more information about UNICEF and its work visit: http://www.unicef.org

 

 

 

For further information on UNICEF, please contact:

Angela Travis

Tel + 63 917 867 8366

[email protected],

 

 

Marge Francia

Tel +63 917 858 9447

[email protected]

 

 

Patrick McCormick, UNICEF New York,

Tel + 1 212 326 7426,

[email protected]

[nancyk58]

AT LEAST 189 KILLED BY STORM WASHI IN THE PHILIPPINES

 

 

The death toll in the Philippines has risen to 189 following a powerful, tropical storm named WASHI that hit the southern part of the island state causing massive flooding and landslides.

 

According to military spokesman Leopoldo Galon about 400 are missing. 71 have been found dead in worst-hit Cagayan de Oro City - a port city on the island of MINDANAO.

 

Earlier the death toll was reported to be 71, but later the death toll was reported to be 97.

 

In other parts of the island 48 have drowned, of which at least 40 in Iligan City. 5 died in a landslide.

 

Source: Danish text-TV (DR1 and TV2 News) plus TV2 live

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16229394

 

17 December 2011 Last updated at 09:40 GMT

 

Philippines storm triggers deadly flash floods

 

Flash floods sparked by a tropical storm in the southern Philippines have killed at least 180 people and left hundreds missing, officials say.

 

Many of the victims were asleep when it struck Mindanao island, killing many in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro.

 

Tens of thousands of people have fled to higher ground, the authorities say.

 

Benito Ramos, head of the national disaster rescue agency, said reports were still coming in and the casualty figures could rise.

 

Mr Ramos said the floodwaters had risen alarmingly fast overnight as people slept.

 

"Massive flooding had been reported over the region, especially in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City," he said

 

Rivers burst their banks after 25mm of rain fell in 24 hours.

 

Large areas were left without power and some domestic flights were cancelled as winds of up to 90 km/h (55mph) swept across the island.

 

A landslide killed at least five people in the east of the island, the national disaster agency said.

 

A military spokesman, Colonel Leopoldo Galon, said an entire army division - some 10,000 soldiers - was involved in the rescue efforts around Cagayan de Oro.

 

Nearly 100 dead bodies - most of them children - had already been found in the city, officials say.

 

Forecasters said the eye of Tropical Storm Washi had passed close to Dipolog City, west of Iligan City, early on Saturday and it was now heading out into the Sulu Sea.Search for bodies

 

Floods had swamped a quarter of Iligan and at least 10 villages on its outskirts, said the city's mayor, Lawrence Cruz.

 

"It's the worst flood in the history of our city," Mr Cruz told GMA television. "It happened so fast, at a time when people were fast asleep."

 

The coast guard and other rescuers were scouring the waters off the coastal city for survivors or bodies, he added.

 

GMA television broadcast dramatic footage of a family escaping their flood-hit home by climbing through a window.

 

Rescue workers were pictured helping survivors to safety in chest-deep floodwater.

 

Three people also drowned in Polanco town in Zamboanga del Norte province, said provincial disaster officer Dennis Tenorio. He said high winds had toppled trees.

 

The storm is set to hit the western island of Palawan later on Saturday, after crossing the Sulu Sea with winds of up to 75 km/h, according to state weather forecasters.

 

The Philippines are struck by about 20 major storms every year.

 

Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae battered the country within days of each other in September, leaving more than 100 people dead.

 

 

More news can be read at/on the Filipino website:

 

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/

[inengsol1500]

Thanks again, Nancy, for the posts!

 

There are reports that 213 are dead but with many still missing, I fear that the number of fatalities might still increase. :(

 

Still looking for more links on donations and other info. So far, I have these:

 

One for Iligan

 

Philippine Red Cross

 

and

 

BPI Dollar Account

Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya

Account Number: 3054-0270-35

Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City

Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

[nancyk58]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-16236757

 

18 December 2011 Last updated at 13:40 GMT

 

Philippines flood toll passes 650 as search continues

 

The number of people killed in the Philippines by floods triggered by Tropical Storm Washi has risen to 650.

 

Soldiers and volunteers are still searching for the 800 people reported missing on southern Mindanao island.

 

Many were trapped in their homes as the flash floods coincided with high tides. In some places entire villages are reported to have been swept away.

 

Authorities have been criticised for not giving enough warning of the storm's severity.

 

However the state disaster agency said adequate warnings had been given to officials and residents three days before it reached land on Friday.

 

The BBC's Kate McGeown in the capital Manila says most of the 20 typhoons and major storms that hit the country each year affect the north - and many in Mindanao were unprepared for the severity of Tropical Storm Washi.

 

'Overwhelming'

 

The major ports of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were among the areas worst hit on Friday night.

 

Hundreds of bodies have been found in each of the two cities - many piled up in makeshift morgues.

 

Other bodies are gradually being washed ashore along the northern Mindanao coastline or are being found floating at sea.

 

The scale of the disaster has forced the local authorities to issue an appeal for body bags and coffins.

 

"It's overwhelming. We didn't expect these many dead," said Benito Ramos, head of the government's disaster response agency.

 

The Philippines Red Cross is helping co-ordinate the search for those missing with the government and other aid agencies.

 

"Our office was swamped with hundreds of requests to help find their missing parents, children and relatives," said Gwendolyn Pang, Red Cross Secretary-General.

 

Most of the dead were women and children, Ms Pang said.

 

She said many bodies remained unclaimed, raising the possibility that entire families had been swept away.

 

Food and water are also urgently needed for the many displaced people.

 

Almost 35,000 people were still sheltering in evacuation centres on Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said.

 

But others are living in the remains of their homes, with no electricity or running water.

 

Some of the survivors told of remarkable escapes after their villages were hit by floodwater.

 

One woman said she survived - along with eight family members and neighbours - by sitting on the tin roof of her house as it drifted down a river and miles into the open sea, where they were rescued by a cargo ship.

 

"There was a deafening sound followed by a rush of water. We found ourselves in the river and the current took us out to the sea," Carmelita Pulosan, 42, from Cagayan de Oro, told Reuters.

 

"The current was very strong. God is really good to us. He saved my family," she said.

 

 

Danish text-TV on DR1: 650 people dead in the Philippines. 20,000 soldiers have been mobilized to help the survivors and to search for dead bodies in the mud.

 

The government in Manila and Red Cross are appealing for help.

 

The flood followed a massive tropical storm with lots of rain - 25 mm per hour that caused the rivers to overflow their banks, and many drowned. The storm hit mainly the southern part of the Philippines in the night between Friday and Saturday.

 

The disaster affects 100,000 people who are in urgent need of help.

[Jochelle]

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/21125/uk-condoles-with-‘sendong’-victims?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

UK condoles with ‘Sendong’ victims

 

MANILA, Philippines—British Minister of State Jeremy Brown has sent his condolences to the victims of Tropical Storm “Sendong,” which hit northern Mindanao starting Friday.

“The loss of life caused by flooding in the Philippines is tragic. I visited the Philippines earlier this month and know how keenly this loss will be felt by all its people,” Brown said in a statement released by the British Embassy in Manila.

“I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of those affected. My thoughts are with them and the Government of the Philippines as they lead the recovery work,” he added.

 

The sympathy from all over the world is overwhelming. Thank you. Please pray for the Philippines.

[inengsol1500]

927 are confirmed dead now.

 

My housemate was telling us last night that her aunt-in-law died in the flashfloods. :(