Ongoing severe tropical storms in the Philippines have displaced over 2.7 million people from their homes and caused over 25 casualties, with eight people still missing. Almost 3000 homes have been destroyed, according to the government’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The strong typhoon storms dubbed Emong and Dante, together called Typhoon Co-may, characterized by heavy rains, powerful winds, and dangerous sea conditions, have caused flooding and landslides, destroyed power grids, and disrupted air and marine activities.
Addressing the nation on 25th July, Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos blamed the flooding on climate change and conceded this would be the new normal. He also emphasized the importance of emergency preparedness to face similar natural disasters to minimize their destruction.
Worst-hit regions
The country’s capital, Metropolitan Manila (Metro Manila), which is comprised of 16 cities and a population of over 13 million people, has seen 500 locations flooded with uninterrupted powerful rains, also leading to poor visibility on roads, resulting in Metro Manila being gridlocked with heavy traffic. Flash floods have caused roads and buildings to become waterlogged, and couples have even been photographed getting married in flooded churches.
The severe flooding in Metro Manila is also exacerbated by an overwhelmed infrastructure and harmful human behaviour.
“Metro Manila’s floods are compounded by many factors, including the encroachment of concrete surfaces, the densification of buildings and residential areas, silting of riverbeds and canals, the obstruction of waterways by informal settlers, the clogging of floodways by garbage, the narrowing of rivers due to development on floodplains, the draining and filling in of small rivers forcing more water into fewer channels, forest degradation, and the reclamation of coastal land,” explained Mahat Lagmay the executive director of University of the Philippines Resilience Institute.
The government has ordered schools to be closed in Metro Manila and the 35 provinces in the country’s northern region of Luzon. According to reporting by the Associated Press, over 80 towns and cities, mainly in Luzon, have declared a state of calamity in order to accelerate receipt of emergency funds and freeze the price of food.
Air traffic disrupted
The storms have also disrupted naval and air transport, with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reporting that 70 international and domestic flights had been cancelled, mainly in the nation’s northern provinces.
Warnings of heavy rains of between 100 to 200 millimeters and landslides continue to be issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration to residents living in low-lying areas and near rivers.
Relief efforts
As thousands of people evacuate the worst hit areas, rescuers, including the Philippines Red Cross, are using boats to help those stranded in the floods. They are also providing food, clean water, and essential relief necessities to those affected.
Medical services are being extended to evacuating populations to minimize infections, particularly among the sickly, elderly, and children through organizations such as the Association of Medical Doctors of Asia (AMDA).
“Hundreds of families have been displaced, and the growing number of evacuees urgently need medical support. There is a critical shortage of essential medicines, particularly antibiotics for flood-related infections, as well as general medical supplies to prevent outbreaks and address the health needs of children, the elderly, and the vulnerable populations currently in evacuation centers,” commented Dr. Erica Tania Davillo the Chairperson of the Philippines chapter of the AMDA.
USA pledges financial support
To boost rescue efforts, the United States, an ally of the Philippines, has pledged US$250,000 through the World Food Programme to help the government’s disaster response.
“We are tracking the devastation caused by the storms and floods and are deeply concerned for all those affected,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said. If the disaster escalates, the U.S. has pledged to provide military aircraft to deliver food and other relief packages to remote islands and rural locations.
The Philippines is located between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea on what is called the Pacific typhoon belt and experiences, on average, 20 typhoons annually, according to Destination Earth. It is also prone to earthquakes and has around two dozen active volcanoes, which makes it among the world’s most disaster-vulnerable countries.
