Manila, Philippines, Friday 6 November, 2020 – CARE International today released US $70,000 from internal emergency funds to support some of the worst affected by the recent typhoon Goni (known as Rolly locally) and is calling for a total US$8 million to help those struggling with the devastation to homes and livelihoods in some of the most remote communities in the Philippines.
As CARE Philippines Emergency Coordinator Jerome Lanit says; “CARE currently has assessment teams on the ground who are also providing emergency food parcels, as we look to see what the other major needs are. Our teams in Albay were able to access Tabaco – an area that has been totally shut off to NGOs until now, and we have found a huge amount of need there, especially amongst the indigenous communities. This morning our teams are heading to Catanduanes, which is an isolated island, and has been the most heavily affected province. Huge numbers of houses, markets and hospitals have been destroyed and the food supply is dwindling, with the 8 months of COVID-19 lockdown meaning government supplies are also scarce, especially to a small island such as Catanduanes. This means international aid is more important now than ever.”
The main needs include access to clean water, food, and shelter, particularly for women, girls, and other vulnerable sectors. CARE is planning to respond with multi-purpose cash distributions, emergency shelter support and water and sanitation and other core relief items. In Catanduanes, teams are also likely to provide food as stocks are worryingly low on the island with poor access for new supplies to come in.
Lanit adds; “At the moment we are obviously operating in an even more challenging environment as we are working within COVID-19 travel protocols and responding to this new need, while making sure not to worsen the spread of COVID-19 amongst communities and providing key items like face masks and hand sanitiser in our distributions. So, this year’s typhoon season response is especially challenging.”
In Vietnam, Goni is the 10th storm to hit the country this year where back-to-back storms throughout October have triggered torrential rains, widespread flooding, and landslides. affecting at least 1.5 million people.
“Many people in Vietnam are still struggling due to the devastation caused by the ongoing floods and the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. CARE is on the ground in the worst affected areas providing water, sanitation, and hygiene support, but more funding is urgently needed. Thankfully Typhoon Goni has weakened to a tropical depression over Vietnam, but we are worried about the compounding affects another severe weather event would have on women, girls and other vulnerable community members,” says Le Kim Dung, CARE Vietnam Country Director.
Storm Atsani is also expected to strengthen into a typhoon with peak intensity of 120 kilometres per hour as it passes over the vicinity of Batanes province or Babuyan Islands early on Friday 6 November.
“Countries like the Philippines have suffered the brunt of the strongest typhoons ever recorded in this decade. Climate change is expected to worsen the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events such as typhoons. CARE is working with vulnerable communities in the Philippines who are the hardest hit by climate change,” shares Mary Joy Gonzales, CARE Philippines’s Climate Change Representative.
About CARE in the Philippines
CARE has been working in the Philippines since 1949, helping communities prepare for disasters, and providing emergency relief and recovery when disaster strikes. CARE has ongoing programs across the Philippines, including in the areas affected by Typhoon Goni. CARE has activated its emergency response protocol and has assessment and response teams on the ground providing assistance in coordination with partner organizations and local government units.
About CARE International in Vietnam
CARE International worked in Vietnam from 1954 to 1975 to address immediate needs, by supporting local food supply, health care and education. CARE returned to Vietnam in 1989 and has since worked in almost all of Vietnam’s 64 provinces and cities, providing more than 200 development projects. CARE International in Vietnam has supported agricultural and rural development, livelihood creation, community development, health care and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention and control, disaster risk reduction and mitigation, climate change response, emergency relief and rehabilitation, water and sanitation, and the advancement of gender equality.
Notes to editor
- Super Typhoon Goni, the world’s strongest storm this year, killed at least 20 people, left thousands homeless and damaged 6.8 billion pesos ($141 million) worth of infrastructure and agriculture, according to the Philippines’ disaster risk-monitoring agency.
- Goni is the third category 5 storm of 2020 in the Asia Pacific area. It follows Cyclone Amphan, which struck India and Bangladesh in May, and Cyclone Harold, which caused widespread destruction in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Tonga in April.
For media enquiries contact:
Kalei Talwar, Press Officer CARE U.S.
kalei.talwar@care.org
Rachel Kent, Senior Press Officer CARE U.S.
rachel.kent@care.org