Scenes of 'Utter Destruction' as Crisis Grows in Super Typhoon's Wake
November 6, 2020 | News | No Comments
As access continues to open to the areas worst hit by Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines over the weekend, scenes of total destruction are emerging alongside a growing humanitarian disaster.
With the death toll previously reported at 10,000 people or more the new phase of the calamity is now being experienced by those who survived the terrifying storm but now face a crippled infrastructure with little or no access to food, water, electricity, or even basic medical care.
“The scene is one of utter devastation.” Tata Abella-Bolo, Oxfam International
With relief organizations and the government mobilizing to search for survivors and deliver aid to the victims of the storm, the reports, images, and video footage from the islands and communities hardest hit—some of them leveled completely by storm surges and wind gusts from one of the most powerful tropical storms ever recorded—showed the extent of Haiyan’s destructive force.
“The scene is one of utter devastation,” said Tata Abella-Bolo, a member of Oxfam International’s emergency team on the central island of Cebu. “There is no electricity in the entire area and no water. Local emergency food stocks have been distributed but stocks are dwindling. The immediate need is for water, both for drinking and cleaning.”
The team reported that nearly all the houses and buildings in the areas they visited were damaged, with power lines down and no electricity in the entire municipality. The team spoke of seeing children begging for help, holding up signs that read: “Help. We need water, food and medicines.”
Oxfam warns that there at least 18 million people living in the worst affected regions and that millions more have been negatively impacted across the nation.
At a government press conference, Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras said, “The situation is bad, the devastation has been significant. In some cases the devastation has been total.”
“The only reason why we have no reports of casualties up to now is that communications systems … are down,” added Colonel John Sanchez of the Philippines armed forces.
Showing newly available aerial photographs from eastern islands that took the brunt of the storm’s wrath, Sanchez added, “One hundred percent of the structures either had their roofs blown away or sustained major damage.”
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