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World Vision responding to Typhoon Fengshen
in the Philippines
Food, potable water and health supplies are in urgent need
Quezon City, Philippines, June 24, 2008—International aid agency World Vision is responding to the needs of local communities with pre-positioned emergency supplies after Typhoon Fengshen swept across the Philippines, causing landslides and large-scale flooding, forcing hundreds of children and their families to evacuate their homes.
Food, clean water and health supplies are among the most urgent needs of affected families, according to World Vision assessment teams deployed to Panay Island, Southern Luzon and Central Luzon.
"Water supply has been cut off," said Reynor Imperial, World Vision’s disaster management specialist for the Philippines. "Flood waters submerged many homes, leaving extensive damage, including damage to the homes of some of our staff.”
In Iloilo Province, several villages were covered in mud measuring as high as half a foot, forcing residents to wade through mud to clear roadways.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council says more than 100,000 families across 20 provinces are estimated to be affected by Typhoon Fengshen.
In the worst-hit areas of Panay Island, Mindanao Province and Central Luzon, Zambales Province, some 22,000 children participate in nine of World Vision’s community development programs.
World Vision’s emergency response director for the Philippines, Jose Bersales, says that children affected by the typhoon are the most vulnerable and basic needs have yet to be met.
World Vision is appealing for $2 million to provide relief in the form of food and supplies to 25,000 affected families.
The humanitarian organization has been working in the Philippines for more than 50 years and is well positioned to respond quickly to the needs of typhoon-affected communities.
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World Vision staff are available for interviews. Please contact Casey Calamusa at 206.310.5476 or ccalamus@worldvision.org.
