A woman looks at the camera as she stands on a storm-eroded bank of a river
Philippines

Assisting people in Typhoon Goni’s wake

Humanity & Inclusion donors continue to help victims of Typhoon Goni, which delivered a serious punch to the Philippines in early November. Teams are distributing temporary shelter kits and providing financial assistance.

"The typhoon damaged our home and destroyed our crops of sweet potatoes and peanuts," says 58-year-old Myrna Teope, who lives in the municipality of San Miguel (Catanduanes).

Typhoon Goni (also called Rolly), the most powerful of the 2020 typhoons to hit the Philippines, made landfall on November 1, bringing winds of up to 140 mph, heavy rain and landslides. More than 30,000 houses have been damaged and the storm has left a trail of devastation.About 1.9 million people were affected in eight of the country’s 17 regions: Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Car and NCR. 

"I have nothing left to eat or sell, and I'm very worried about my grandchildren, who live in my house," Teope continues. "The bridge that connected our village to the city center was destroyed. To get there, we have to get on a small raft and cross the river. We wait for food and we line up at the riverside to make sure we are not forgotten. We haven't had enough to eat since the typhoon hit. I feel incredibly angry about the storm. We need help."

The needs are immense.  In conjunction with Shelter Box and Simon of Cyrene, Humanity & Inclusion has launched an emergency response to assist victims of the disaster. The organization is distributing 'temporary shelter' kits (including plastic sheets, rope, a solar-powered lamp, etc.), hygiene kits (soap, mosquito nets, etc.) and sanitary kits (sanitary towels, solar-powered lamps, and diapers) to more than 5,000 families living in the areas of Catanduanes and Camarines Sur. Humanity & Inclusion also is offering small cash transfers to 500 families affected by the disaster.