Reuters: “Mounting Humanitarian Crisis” in the Philippines Ten Days After Typhoon Haiyan Hit

Anyone who thinks that the worst is over in the Philippines just isn’t paying attention. Ten days in, there are dozes if not hundreds of communities that have received no aid.  For others, a trickle of food aid is starting to get in, initially from private donations.  Rommel Llevado, a resident of Guinob-an, a coastal town on the coast of Eastern Samar just fifty miles from Tacloban, summarized the aid received by his town as of Monday morning November 18:  “Each household received 3 KG of rice from a private donation, enough for 2-3 days.  We received large can of sardines (12 oz), and one small (5 oz). And two packs of noodles.”  Those supplies have run out for the town.  A shipment from another private donor has, according to reports reaching the town, reached northern Samar and should arrive sometime Tuesday. [This private mico-relief operation is responsible for the shipment in transit.]

“Please don’t forget about us,” Llevado said. “Many towns are suffering.”

Guinob-an is no different from hundreds of coastal villages that are on the edge and not getting anything yet from the government or international aid agencies.

President Benigno Aquino: “One is tempted to despair, but the minute I despair, then everybody, it cascades down and everybody gets hampered in their efforts.”

Reuters has a report out today that captures the scope of what they rightly call a “mounting humanitarian crisis” in which US military personnel have been “mobbed by hungry villagers” in some (not all) towns where they attempted to deliver relief goods:

Philippine authorities, the U.S. military and international agencies face a mounting humanitarian crisis, with the number of people displaced by the catastrophe estimated at four million, up from 900,000 late last week.

Bernard Kerblat, UN High Commissioner for Refugees representative for the Philippines, said the agency was still facing coordination problems and bottlenecks.

“As of now, personally, I am not so sure that we’ve reached every single portion of the territory where people are in need of aid,” he said.

“And, in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised that unfortunately that there might still be, as I’m speaking to you, day 11 of this disaster, there might be still very isolated islands.”

Orla Fagan, a spokeswoman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said it was a “logistical nightmare” to get relief supplies out at all.

“The size, the quantity of people that have been affected by this, this is massive, between 10 and 12.9 million people have to be assisted to recover from this. This is absolutely huge. It’s like taking the whole of Belgium and trying to assist.”

Meanwhile private citizens from the Philippines and elsewhere continue to attempt to fill the gap, not only in the provision of aid, but in the provision of information.  A group calling itself BangonPH (Arise!)  launched a website that allowed those in need, and those with items to donate, to reach out to one another.  A sampling of the urgent need requests on the site:

EBUNEED: Logistics from Manila to Cebu. GUYS! good news! my aunt is donating 14 tons of frozen products like fish etc. coming form manila. i need a way to get it here to cebu so we can cook them and give to the 3,000+ Evacuees. Can anyone help?
https://www.facebook.com/erika.hayco
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 22, 2013

DAVE SHIELDS
TACLOBAN AND NORTHERN CEEUWe need translators and truck drivers to assist with Samaritan Purse’s relief efforts
0922602690
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 22, 2013

KIM SAYA-ANG
BABATNGON LEYTE AND HOLLYWOOD HILLS, NULA TULAMy friend and her family are in Babatngon Leyte and Hollywood Hills, Nula Tula.. They are in dire need of military assistance and food as well. Thank you.
kimmysay113087@gmail.com
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 22, 2013

LOUISE TORRES
BRGY SAN MARTIN, DUMALAG, CAPIZI hope help will reach to this place. They are dying of hunger. Baka possible na ma-reach sila ng relief operations nyo. Brgy San Martin, Dumalag, Capiz. Eto yung number ng anak ng kapitan dun. Bebeth Fano 09302638337. Tapos Miguel Fano yung pangalan nung kapitan. Salamat po.
Bebeth Fano 09302638337
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 22, 2013

ROXY NAVARRO
ALANG ALANG LEYTEWe need info of our families in alang alang Leyte. (Rojas Family)
roxynavarro15@gmail.com
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 22, 2013

RALPH REGALADO
ROXAS CITY CAPIZWere looking for truck owners who can help us deliver relief goods from Manila to Roxas City
09324767480
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 22, 2013

PEPA BAGUNDOL
RELATIVES HOMETOWNHelp for Villahermosa, Calubian Leyte…I hope relief will reach this place. This is far north facing Biliran Leyte…. people are hungry as well. A lot of people in this place came to Cebu for food already but some have remained there. Please help.
0923-253-2052
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 22, 2013

BEN GUILLENO
need info of my families in Guiuan (Guilleno and Baun)
benguilleno@yahoo.com
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 21, 2013

DSWD-7
MACTAN AIR BASENeeds 500 volunteers for massive relief goods packing. No minors pls and mothers are advised not to bring their kids.
Beth Canalda at 0916 437 1532
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 21, 2013

HANNA / WELLA
PONTEVEDRA, CAPIZ Needs medical supplies
0906-545-1565
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 21, 2013

PEACHY LEI
CEBU – CEBU CITYthe med-surgical team by the way is arriving in mactan airport, cebu on nov. 21. they need someone to fetch them from the airport and a host / place in cebu where they can stay.
09267410544
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 21, 2013

MAAN CATOLOS
DOONG ISLAND, BANTAYAN, CEBUHi friends! Need old tarpaulins for use as temporary shelters for victims in Doong Island – it’s a remote island southwest of Bantayan Island in Cebu.
09054617560 / @atemaan / catolos.maan@gmail.com
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 21, 2013

ROSEMEL
CEBUcan somebody provide the latest info on evacuation centers? especially the breakdown of evacuees in terms of age or age bracket? thanks!
09176222010
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 21, 2013

AVIV
ORMOCLocal volunteers in or around Ormoc to help Canadian team landing on Tuesday for loading/ translation/ basic engineering. Any on-the-ground help useful! Please be in touch
Aviv.Bialy@IsraelAidMission.org
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 21, 2013

LUCILLE
CEBUA youth group would like to spend time with evacuees from ages 14-22 to inspire them and give them hope. Who should we get in touch with at the evacuation centers for request and approval? If you have information, please get in touch with 09176259317. Thanks.
09176259317
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 20, 2013

IRWIN GABRIEL LOPEZ
BARUGO, LEYTEWe are a team of doctors and volunteers (Team Name: Flight of Hope) for a relief and medical mission in the town of Barugo, Leyte (40km northeast of tacloban) this Thursday morning (21 November 2013). Yolanda flattened nearly 100% of the town, and the residents are in dire need of relief goods and medical attention. We are trying to bring 8,000 relief packs but is still 5,000-6,000 packs short. We need: 1. Funds- If you want to donate, kindly send an email to Ms. Ann Hazel Javier (ahjavier@yahoo.com) indicating your name and the amount you want to donate. She will respond with an invoice and the details of the paypal account. Our only condition is that you agree that we will publish your names for transparency, and thus the need to email your name details first. 2. Relief Packs- if you are part of any team of volunteers trying to send relief packs to typhoon-ravaged areas, kindly coordinate with me (Irwin Lopez) through my email irwingabriel.lopez@gmail.com, landline (02-966-6694) or my mobile number (0917-822-1462) 3. Information- do you know any person, company or organizations who can help us gather more relief packs for the survivors in Barugo? Help. Please.
email: irwingabriel.lopez@gmail.com; landline (02-966-6694); my mobile number (0917-822-1462)
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 20, 2013

ANONYMOUS
ILOILOTest to NINZ
phoo213213
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 19, 2013

JOHANN GEORSUA
BANTAYANhi..pick up truck or transport from cebu to hagnaya later 2 am… salamat kau
09163733804
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 18, 2013

CHAI ENERIO
REMOTE CEBU TOWNS HIT BY TYPHOON YOLANDAtrucks for deployment of goods to remote areas in Cebu hit by typhoon
09065171590
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 18, 2013

JOICE
BANTAYAN ISLAND@bantayanisland needs water! especially in the outskirts town and surrounding islets.
09273084102
PREFERABLY BEFORE NOV 18, 2013