Children and families in an emergency shelter after floods forced them from their homes

5 October 2009: Downpours continue to swamp the northern regions of the Philippines as a second typhoon hit over the weekend causing further devastation.

Typhoon Parma hit the north western Luzon region on Saturday, causing landslides and floods that killed at least 22 people.
 
Though later officially downgraded to a tropical storm, Parma left 16 inches of rain in the northern regions over the weekend, and  rain continues to fall today, hindering relief efforts prompted by September’s Typhoon Ketsana.

Typhoon Parma’s movements were affected by yet another storm. It was effectively ‘held in place’ by the much stronger Typhoon Melor, which was expected to enter Philippine territory, but not its mainland, from the east late today.

Millions affected

Statistics from the National Disaster Coordinating Committee’s report show that the total number of casualties is now at 335: 288 dead, 5 injured and 42 missing since Typhoon Ketsana hit Manila on 26 September. More than 3,000,000 people have been affected.

Plan has launched an emergency appeal for US$750,000 to provide survivors with basic needs, sanitation, psychosocial care, tools to clean schools and temporary educational materials.

Please donate to the appeal today.

Disease threat

Father carrying his child through flood water in Montalban Rizel, west of Manila.
Photo: Reuters/Romeo Ranoco, courtesy alertnet.org  

Typhoon Ketsana has also left high quantities of stagnant rainwater, raising concerns over disease transmission.

“Many of the schools are still being used as evacuation centres; the children have lost their school uniforms, their homes in many cases, the school equipment, text books, and some of the school buildings are also badly damaged.  There is water knee-deep in these municipalities and it has not been able to drain away yet,” said Plan’s country director in the Philippines, Michael Diamond.

None of Plan’s projects in the Philippines are directly affected. Plan is currently working in partnership with numerous government departments as well as a coalition of international non-governmental organisations.

Relief effort

The country office is focusing its relief efforts on providing basic needs in 4 parts of the worst affected areas in Rizal province, west of Manila. 

Plan hopes to stay in the Rizal province for at least 6 months after the floods have subsided, concentrating on reopening schools and ensuring that children in the area can be educated as normal.