On the morning of October 15, 2013, a deadly magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Central Visayas islands in the Philippines. The Philippine Red Cross immediately began relief efforts, providing assistance to the impacted communities. The quake has been described as the strongest to strike the Philippines in more than two decades. It's also been described as one of the worst emergencies and disasters to occur recently, leaving 195 people dead, 651 injured and 12 missing.
Following this disaster, the Canadian Red Cross, one of the largest humanitarian charity organizations in the nation, reached out to provide aid to the Philippines. Support was provided to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), as well as the Philippine Red Cross. As of early November, funds for the Philippines were flowing in. It was only a matter of weeks until disaster struck the Philippines again.
A second emergency
On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the Philippines, creating landslides and flooding. The Philippine Red Cross has remained on the highest alert since the typhoon was first spotted, with preparations such as evacuation plans and pre-positioned supplies to reduce the overall potential impact of the storm. However, the devastation was still significant.
According to national authorities, as of January 14, 2014, more than 16 million people were affected. In addition, 4.1 million people remain displaced and 1.2 million homes have been damaged or destroyed. At the moment, 381 evacuation centres are still providing temporary shelter to more than 101,500 individuals.
Immediately following the typhoon, the Canadian Red Cross and the Government of Canada contributed $60,000 towards relief efforts on the ground. The Canadian Red Cross then quickly launched its own public appeal, which has now raised more than 40 million dollars thanks to generous donors.
On November 14 and 15, 2013, the Canadian Red Cross Secretary General and CEO, Conrad Sauvé, visited Cebu, which was one of the hardest-hit areas in the Philippines.
In addition, with support from the Government of Canada, the Canadian Red Cross also deployed a mobile field hospital to provide critical, life-saving health services to hard-hit communities. The field hospital is supporting the Philippine Red Cross and local health authorities to meet the health care needs in the city of Ormoc through surgical, pharmaceutical, maternal and child care and out-patient services. The hospital has been active in the city of Ormoc since mid-November and has during that time admitted 1,226 patients, performed 114 surgeries and supported 418 deliveries.
It's now been over two months since the typhoon made landfall, but humanitarian assistance is still needed. Make a difference in the Philippines and help the Canadian Red Cross continue to respond and help survivors recover from this disaster - donate today!