While we in the Caribbean are enjoying the end of the 2021 Hurricane season, across the globe, many are fighting for their lives during what is said to be the worst Typhoon to hit the Philippines this year.
So far, there have been at least 375 confirmed deaths and that number is expected to rise. At least 515 people are injured and 56 are still missing, the Philippine National Police PNP said.Aid workers have been struggling to clear debris and some regions are inaccessible due to waterlogged roads.
Philippine Red Cross chairman Sen. Richard Gordon appealed to the international community, saying that funds for emergency rescue efforts were urgently needed.
“Homes are completely destroyed. We are trying to send urgent supplies including water, food and medicines,” he said. “Communities have been completely cut off. Millions are affected by this typhoon, and supplies are scarce.”
Ra is the 15th typhoon to hit the Philippines this year and is equivalent to a Category 5 storm with winds up to 160 miles per hour. The monster typhoon made landfall on Siargao Island on Thursday which is a popular tourist and surfing destination in the Caraga region of northeast Mindanao.
As heavy rains began pouring throughout the country, evacuations and other measures began, but millions were still left vulnerable to the Typhoon.
So far, over 16,000 families in Caraga only are estimated to be sheltering in cramped evacuation centers.
Along with the strong winds there had been continuous heavy rain, widespread flooding and landslides. Many Communities were destroyed and hundreds of thousands are left completely homeless.
