International aid agency Oxfam announced that it is working with local partners and coordinating with local governments in the Philippines to assess the damage and needs of affected communities following the onslaught of super typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) on November 1.
At least two million people, or about 400,000 families, have been affected, with thousands of homes damaged or destroyed, and at least 10 people killed, according to latest government figures. The typhoon also caused major damage to crops, with an estimated 20,000 farmers affected.
The world’s strongest typhoon this year has passed through the Philippines and weakened after passing near the densely populated capital, Manila.
“We have experienced terrible wind speeds, lashing rains and devastating flooding. Buildings have been destroyed and whole villages are under water and mudflows,” said Oxfam Philippines’ humanitarian lead Rhoda Avila.
“We will be conducting assessments of affected areas with our partners as soon as we can get access, but conditions are very difficult,” she said in a statement, adding that roads are flooded and power is down in many areas making communications with some parts impossible.
“We also have to work with the threat of COVID-19 transmission in mind to protect both our emergency response teams and the people they are helping,” said Avila.
Oxfam’s new disaster relief system dubbed B-READY identifies vulnerable people in several communities who are likely to be affected when a typhoon sweeps through their community.
Once the exact path of the typhoon is confirmed, cash transfers to those people are then triggered to enable them to prepare by securing their properties and ensuring they have enough provisions to get through the first few days.
Super typhoon “Rolly” is the Philippines’ 18th tropical cyclone for 2020.
Another tropical storm, locally known as “Siony,” is also expected to make landfall in the northeast of the island of Luzon later this week, according to state weather bureau Pagasa.
Cagayan Valley is the same area ravaged by super typhoon Ompong in September 2018, the strongest storm that year.
An average of 20 tropical cyclones form within or enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility each year. “Rolly” is the third consecutive typhoon in two weeks.
Source: Licas Philippines
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