Ministry News

Ministries Respond to Flooding in Philippines

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Tuesday, 29 September 2009 11:15

Christian relief organizations are once again on the front lines of helping people in desperate need following a typhoon in the Philippines over the weekend that compares to America's Hurricane Katrina.

At least 246 people have been killed and 38 are still missing after Typhoon Ketsana dumped a month's worth of rain in a 12-hour span on Saturday, flooding the homes of more than 1.9 million people in Manila and the surrounding areas. Nearly 380,000 of those have sought shelter in schools, churches and makeshift evacuation centers.

"Thousands of people have lost all they owned—their food, their clothing, bedding, school items, and kitchen equipment," said Boy Bersales, a director for World Vision Philippines. "But their immediate needs are for food and water. Many have gone without either for hours and hours and the children are especially vulnerable having been trapped in flooded conditions for several days. The city is only now waking up to the massive extent of the devastation."

World Vision, which is the one of the world's largest Christian humanitarian aid organizations, has set a goal of helping at least 100,000 of those in dire need. Working with the Philippine Coast Guard, the agency is targeting four of Manila's hardest-hit areas, all of which are home to thousands of poor residents living in low-lying areas next to a river. To date, World Vision has been able to deliver relief packs via helicopter. Fellow Christian relief organization Catholic Relief Services is also providing immediate assistance by distributing food among those who fled throughout the northern island of Luzon. [AP, 9/29/09; christianpost.com, 9/28/09]