Assistance in the Wake of Typhoon Haiyan

In the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives holds in its thoughts and prayers our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Philippines who have endured such profound loss and devastation. In the words of Rev. Rex Reyes, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, “I bid you pray for the repose of the dead, comfort to the survivors and strength to those who minister to their needs.  Give of yourself that God’s love may be made real.”

Philippines Typhoon HaiyanOn behalf of our partners in the Philippines, the Ecumenical Voice for Peace and Human Rights (EcuVoice) and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), KAIROS is appealing for your solidarity and generosity as the entire country grapples with the loss of lives and livelihoods. Please support the disaster response and relief efforts of our member churches in partnership with Operation Paglingap of the NCCP – www.http://nccphilippines.org – to enable them deliver life-saving necessities such as food, clean water, blankets, clothing and materials for temporary shelters.

KAIROS encourages you to channel your donations to the following church members working on emergencies and disaster relief operations:

 

Brief Background:

Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), one of the most powerful typhoons on record, ripped through central Philippines on Friday, November 8th with sustained winds of 235 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 275 kph. The super typhoon triggered landslides, storm surges and flash floods, knocked out power and communication lines, uprooted trees, swept away buildings and houses near the sea, crumpled tin roofs and upturned cars.

Yolanda made six landfalls, devastating communities in Samar/Leyte, Cebu and Iloilo, Palawan. Most severely affected were coastal communities that were inundated by a three meter high storm surge that destroyed all in its path and in some areas extended more than a kilometre inland. Thousands of families living in high-risk areas were evacuated in advance, but in the coastal areas even evacuation centers were deluged, resulting in hundreds of fatalities. The Philippine military is confirming that over 1,000 people have died but warns that this number is expected to rise dramatically – and could reach 10,000 – as disaster response and relief operations reach severely affected areas. Thousands are reported missing.

In Canada, as reports of the devastation and death toll continue, Filipino-Canadians who hail from the affected cities and provinces are expressing concern and hope as news from back home is hampered by damage to the Philippine’s communication and energy infrastructure.

The Government of Canada has committed $5 million to support emergency relief efforts in the Philippines and, in addition, will match every dollar donated by Canadians to registered Canadian charities responding to the crisis.

Super typhoon Yolanda is the third natural disaster to strike the Philippines in the last month. On October 15, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Bohol and nearby municipalities, claiming nearly 200 lives and causing millions of dollars of damage. The earthquake followed Typhoon Santi, which slammed into the Central and Northern Luzon areas of the Philiippines on October 12, displacing more than 740,000 people.

We remember at this time that as one body in Christ we can reach out in service to the survivors of this tragedy to provide basic needs and to support their own recovery efforts.

 

For more information, please contact, Connie Sorio, Asia-Pacific Partnerships Coordinator at (416) 463-5312 ext 240 or by email at csorio@kairoscanada.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed in: Asia-Pacific

Tags:

Share with your network:Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print