Philippines

[Zombie]

Every day this week we've seen on the nightly TV news more of the devastation in the Philippines caused by Typhoon Haiyan. For someone who lives in a developed country where we moan when broadband speed drops, and where the 80mph winds of last month were a big news story, I cannot begin to imagine the scale of loss caused by the 190 mph typhoon winds that people in the Philippines experienced, are experiencing this minute, and will continue to experience for many months, if not years.

£30m has been raised just this week in Britain and the UK govt has promised to match this pound for pound in addition to other help, but that's really just a drop. Aid is only now beginning to arrive, a week after the destruction, but getting this to the estimated nearly 2 million displaced people who need immediate help is going to be a massive challenge.  Homes, schools, hospitals have gone, roads are blocked, there is no power, no cell phones - all the infrastructure we take for granted as part of our modern way of life gone. Tens of thousands just have the clothes they were wearing and this week they have literally just been surviving. In the affected areas where everything has been wrecked they have no fresh water, no food, no shelter, no functioning resources and medicines to help the injured and stop them dying of infection. They have a critical and urgent need for immediate help and the Philippines just doesn't have the resources to deal with this and deal with it now. Because help is needed urgently - no-one can survive long without fresh uncontaminated water and food. Old people, young children and babies are the least resilient and, tragically, there are going to be more deaths in the coming days.

Some govts have responded quickly - the US is taking a leading role - and all the major aid agencies are responding as well, but individuals like us can make a difference with collective donations that will help not just with immediate and urgent needs like fresh drinking water and food and shelter, but in the months to come to help rebuild the vital infrastructure that was swept away last Friday.

I'm sure many here have already responded, but I thought it might be helpful if people could post links to where donations can be made in your countries. Here in Britain I used the Disasters Emergency Committee website

http://www.dec.org.uk/?utm_source=38Degrees&utm_medium=Link&utm_campaign=A014&utm_content=Link1

Just click on "Donate" or phone 0370 60 60 900 if, like me, you prefer not to go through PayPal. Donations through the DEC will be matched pound for pound by the UK govt.

So if you have similar links for your own countries perhaps people could post them here?

Thanks for reading.
    
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24954011
 

Edited November 15, 2013 by Zombie

[JamesSavik]

I'm right there with you zombie. This has been a horribly sad disaster. We have many Filipino friends here at GA. 

 

I'm from the area Katrina mauled and have been through a similar misery. This storm reminded me of Katrina: things were so badly messed up, that it took several days for us to find out how bad it really was.

 

I have already made a contribution to the red cross disaster relief fund.

 

The adults in the family are talking about giving the children presents but instead of exchanging gifts between adults, we are discussing making a large donation to the relief fund instead. We don't need more junk and they need the help. We have been there and know.

[Celethiel]

*hopes our people are ok*

[wildone]

The Canadian Government is doing the same here, matching dollar to dollar. I believe we are approaching the 30 million private donation too.

 

When I heard of it coming and everyday since, I have been thinking of our Filipino members, especially a couple that are more prominent in their appearances.

 

I happen to live in a city where 1 in 12 people are Filipino and talking some they have no word of how their famiilies are doing.

 

I too made my donation.

 

In Canada there is several agencies but I chose the Canadian Red Cross.

[W_L]

Right on my green undead friend

 

Sent donation to red cross today.