Typhoon Goni, known locally as Typhoon Rolly, made landfall in the eastern Philippines on Sunday, November 1. The most violent typhoon to hit the archipelago this year, Goni has killed at least 16 people and caused extensive damage.
Humanity & Inclusion has worked in the Philippines since 1985, and set up a five-person-strong team to determine the impact of the storm, supported remotely by other Humanity & Inclusion staff members. The team plans to visit several provinces - Albay and Sorsogon – where it will assess humanitarian needs and access issues. This unit’s work will help to determine our response options.
The most powerful typhoon so far this year, Typhoon Goni hit the Philippine coast in Bicol region at around 5 am with winds of over 140 miles per hour, gusting to 174 miles per hour. Wind and rain struck several provinces in the archipelago.
Damages to homes, roadways, and infrastructure is significant. Some 25 million people live in the worst-affected areas, and roughly 70 million live in regions that are slightly less affected. In these areas, many families already live in highly precarious conditions.
According to a partner organization of Humanity & Inclusion, at least half of houses in the Catanduanes region have been damaged. Floods have also destroyed bridges and blocked roads. The storm left almost 150 municipalities without power and disrupted water supplies elsewhere. In the province of Catanduanes, Bicol region, communications were only restored on Monday and authorities have warned of food shortages.
Over the coming hours and days, Humanity & Inclusion’s teams and partners will assess the extent of the damage and the needs of the most vulnerable families before deciding on what action to take.
Caption: The floodwater stills in Oas, Albay © Shiena Realuyo Base
About Humanity & Inclusion's work in the Philippines
Our teams have worked in the Philippines since 1985, delivering aid and services to the most vulnerable victims of natural disasters and running ongoing disaster-risk reduction programs to help people with disabilities prepare for future disasters.
As one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, Humanity & Inclusion's Philippines team focuses its work on the country's poorest areas—where the population is most exposed to disasters and conflicts and where public services are lacking. Typhoons and their side-effects, including landslides, storm surges and flash floods, are the most frequent and devastating natural disasters. In the past 20 years, natural disasters have killed more than 31,000 and affected more than 98 million people in the Philippines. Humanity & Inclusion was one of the key humanitarian agencies responding to Typhoon Haiyan in 2013-2014.
Image details | Location: Zone 4, Lanigay, Polangui, Albay; Copyright: Marie Cris Sauler