Help! 12 things ‘Pablo’ survivors need

MANILA, Philippines – Almost a quarter million people affected by typhoon “Pablo” in Mindanao need your help.

More than 400 have been confirmed dead, on top of hundreds injured and over 300 still missing.

The damage has topped P4 billion, mainly to agriculture and the banana industry that provides a life for 150,000 people in Compostela Valley alone.

Local disaster teams in the Caraga region, which includes Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley, said on Friday, December 8, that there is urgent need for:

• Communication equipment
• Tents for command posts
• Hygiene kits
• Breast-feeding stations
• Cooking utensils
• Emergency flashlights
• Water containers
• Inflatable beds with pump
• Personal clothing (male, female, toddler, infant)
• Plastic crates
• Thermos
• Water bottles with filter

Almost 234,000 people are being served inside and outside of 569 evacuation centers in Mindanao as of 6 am.

NDRRMC chief Benito Ramos appealed on Thursday for citizens to help survivors in need of food, water, and clothing, since many of them had their belongings washed out by the floods and landslides.

For details on relief centers nationwide, check Rappler’s list here. For relief operations, Ramos directed people to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

A C130 military cargo plane and a navy ship are ready to proceed to the typhoon-ravaged areas to bring relief goods from Manila, he added.

The United Nations has also offered to help mobilize humanitarian assistance for the survivors. – Rappler.com