The challenges that confront governments and agencies as they try to get aid to the desperate people and the devastated communities are immense. No one wants people to suffer and to feel completely alone and helpless in that suffering, but when transport routes have been destroyed and vehicles and fuel are in short supply - it is not easy to get adequate supplies to people.
Latest statistics:
- 13 million people affected (OCHA)
- 5 million children affected (OCHA,15 Nov)
- Official death toll – 3,976 (NDRRMC)
- 1,597 people missing (NDRRMC)
- 10,000 feared dead in one area– Tacloban (Leyte province)
- 18,175 injured (NDRRMC)
- 3 million people displaced (OCHA)
- 4,460 evacuation centres hosting 433,300 people (OCHA)
- 2.5 million people in need of food assistance (UN)
- 285,993 houses destroyed (OCHA)
- 4.4 million students affected: 11,919 primary and secondary schools impacted, 9,648 day care centres and over 300,000 pre-schoolers have been affected
- Livelihoods of 2 million people have been destroyed
- Severe damage to infrastructure, agriculture as well as telecommunications.
- Economic losses US $6,819,629; this is expected to increase as further reports come in (NDRRMC)
- US $301 million required to fund typhoon response plan (OCHA)
- 26% of UN appeal funded (US $79 million received, $222 million gap)
World Vision Distribution Sunday, 17 Nov (second distribution)
Daan Bantayan, northern tip of Cebu approx. 1,200 families (approx. 6,000)
A convoy of trucks delivered more than 50 tonnes of rations – including 30kg rice, sardines, beans, cooking oil, water and hygiene kits – to many of the worst-hit communities.
- Balance of initial distribution (120 families/600 people) received their relief supplies.
- Team of 11 operations staff, departed Saturday to conduct assessments and distributions of food and hygiene kits in Leyte. They will go to 9 Barangays in Ormoc and Tacloban. The distribution in Ormoc is planned to benefit 5,500 households (27,500 people).
- Distributions are planned for early this coming week, food kits and hygiene kits are expected to benefit 2,823 households (14,115 people).
- Sector specialists participated in the distribution today: they will continue to conduct sector-specific assessments in Cebu, Panay and Samar and Leyte over the coming weeks.
- Logistics structure is in place; there have been offers of service-in-kind donations of transportation, including the use of a C130 (plane), and warehouse space.
