Tragedy has struck the Philippines, my adopted second home. From NPR:
The United Nations is rushing food, shelter and clean water to the Philippines, following last weekend’s devastating tropical storm. The UN estimates about 1,000 people died when Tropical Storm Washi burst ashore last Friday on the big southern island of Mindanao.
Washi, known as Sendong in the Philippines, may be the world’sdeadliest storm of 2011, according to Washington Postmeteorologist Jason Samenow. The system raked the southern Philippines islands, finally emerging in the South China Sea, where it lost strength.
Philippines president Benigno Aquino declared a state of calamity and ordered coffins sent to the two cities worst affected by the storm, Iligan and Cagayan de Oro City. AP reports he’ll order an investigation to find why more people didn’t seek higher ground and the reason for the high death toll. While visiting Cagayan de Oro, he said “Our national government will do its best to prevent a repeat of this tragedy.”
Victims need the aid. According to Mindanao News, survivors in Cagayan de Oro City should look for missing relatives in the city’s dump, where dozens of bodies have been left because local funeral parlors don’t have enough coffins or embalming fluid.
Please consider making a donation to the Philippine Red Cross or Gawad Kalinga, both reputable charities providing support to the affected areas.