Dear friends, As some of you may already know, the Philippines (my beloved country), was hit by two massive natural disasters—a 7.2-magnitude earthquake and more recently, by “Haiyan” (local name: Yolanda), a category five super typhoon regarded by many as ‘the strongest storm of the year to make landfall’. Despite the Philippine government’s efforts to manage risks to protect its people, the sad truth is, these all too powerful disasters still left a trail of death, destruction and devastation. Third-party sources, as well as my friends and colleagues who are either living or working in the hardest-hit areas, all confirm one thing--- There is just much work to be done. See: nytimes/interactive/2013/11/11/world/asia/typhoon-haiyan-photos.html?_r=0 As I write this, there are still ongoing discussions on the estimated death toll (ranging from 2,000 to 10,000). The other numbers are just as dizzying and heart-breaking—9.5 million people are affected; more than 2 million people are in need food aid, of which nearly 300,000 are pregnant women or new mothers; 600,000 are displaced; and countless are suffering from emotional trauma. As for the situation on the ground, aid workers are operating in difficult conditions because roads are still blocked, and some of the communication and power lines are still down. To make matters worse, a new tropical low (although not as strong) is dumping more rain in the area. This is why on behalf of my people, I’d like to appeal to your generosity at this critical time. I’ve always been proud to share stories that highlight the resilience of the Filipinos. I’ve always been very vocal about how despite the many challenges faced by my nation, my kababayans (countrymen) are still all about “weathering the storm”, bouncing back, and coming out intact (to the best extent possible). While I still truly believe that “The Filipino spirit is waterproof and unbreakable,” this is not to say that we are not in need of help, YOUR HELP, given the situation. I am already grateful for the humanitarian aid currently being provided by the international community, but I also believe in the power of mobilizing personal support to augment resources. ***HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP*** For Ireland-based individuals, you may donate to: *The Irish Red Cross – redcross.ie/news/appeals/typhoon-haiyan-appeal/ *Plan Ireland – https://plan.ie/online-forms/one-off-general-donation For those who are based OUTSIDE THE PHILIPPINES: *UNICEF – donate.unicef.ph/campaign/24/typhoon-yolanda-emergency-appeal *UNHCR - donate.unhcr.org/philippines *Apple iTunes Store (American Red Cross – lower right of webpage: “Philippine Typhoon Relief”) - apple/ *Red Cross Philippines – redcross.org.ph/donate (Paypal) *More online options here: rappler/move-ph/issues/disasters/43300-reliefph-victims-typhoon-yolanda-help#overseasonline For those based IN THE PHILIPPINES: *More detailed options + description can be found here: rappler/move-ph/issues/disasters/43300-reliefph-victims-typhoon-yolanda-help#national Every single bit (regardless of the amount) helps. If it is not possible for you to pitch in at this time, I would really appreciate it if you could help spread this request to your network. Thank you! In solidarity, Rhea Alba MSc in Humanitarian Action University College Dublin, Ireland P.S. My sincere thanks goes out to many of you who have expressed concern about my loved ones. While my immediate family is safe as they were not directly in the path of Haiyan, I’m appealing on behalf of the many others who are in dire need of support.
Posted on: Tue, 12 Nov 2013 21:55:46 +0000