It was completely dark, and we only had candles as our source of light in our rooms. More than a week after Super Typhoon Rai known locally as Odette slammed into the Philippines, Lacia has given up trying to salvage whatever is left of his home. WHO Philippines, The CARAGA Regional Hospital in Surigao City sustained damages in its upper floors but remains operational, with over 200 admitted patients, including suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. Everythinghomes and businesseswas destroyed overnight; it was such a depressing sight. Weve been living here at Sitio Batugan, Barangay Biohon, for 15 years now, but this was the first time we encountered such a devastating experience. In this handout photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard, a rescuer assists a girl as they wade through flooding caused by Typhoon Rai in Cagayan de Oro City, southern Philippines on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, Inc. World Food Programme (WFP): Food, Nutrition, Logistics [USD 5 million], International Organization for Migration (IOM): Shelter, Health, Camp Coordination & Camp Management [USD 4.2 million], International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC): Shelter/Non-Food Items, Food, Water/Sanitation/Hygiene (WASH), Health [USD 1.83 million], United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF): WASH [USD 1.6 million], United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): Inter-agency Coordination [USD 0.2 million], Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): Shelter/Non-Food Items, Protection [USD 0.17 million].. This played a huge factor in my mood and stress level. The Government is leading the response through the NDRRMC and related emergency response mechanisms. When we finally reached Surigao City, people were so happy that some had even started to clap. In the first month following Typhoon Odettes landfall, the majority of the island province did not have electricity, affecting the delivery of urgent medical care. $107.2MFUNDING REQUESTED Foreword by the Humanitarian Coordinator Just over a week ago, Super Typhoon Rai, locally known as Odette, made its first landfall on 16 December 2021, bringing. The climate crisis also exposes systemic problems in the Philippines, Dela Cruz said. The Typhoon compromised access to safe water and sanitation facilities, heightening the risk of communicable disease outbreaks. The staff and residents evacuated for safety and emergency purposes as the wind rose and the typhoon became stronger. On 16 December 2021, Typhoon Rai (local name Odette) brought torrential rains, violent winds, landslides, and storm surges in the provinces of Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands in Mindanao, in five provinces of Visayas, and in the island of Palawan in Luzon before it exited the Philippine area of responsibility on 17 December. Im thankful that we were able to retrieve some clothes that were carried away by the waves, but most of all I am grateful that my whole family is alive and well. Alita Sapid's roof blew off her family's home during Typhoon Rai. She has traveled to many countries exploring coffee shops, discovering digital nomad cafes, and getting to know the big coffee culture of our planet. We need more resources to help us and (we should) play a stronger role internationally to push for more climate finance, he said. The staff was nowhere to be found, so they took it upon themselves to assign me the remaining available room upon learning that I was booked at this resort for two days. At least at Dapa, we were a step closer to leaving the island. Those affected by typhoons this year will need support to deal with the health impacts of ongoing and recurrent disasters in their country, combined with additional risks posed by COVID-19. Not to make light of your misfortunes but its these kinds of experiences that build character, although while youre there all we want is to get the hell out. The typhoon made landfall on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 1:30 p.m. local time on Siargao Island in southeastern Philippines. Protection needs remain under-assessed and under-addressed in most areas, with a need to mainstream protection into all elements of the response. Odettes path was the southern Visayas which the metro Cebu was badly hit too. Its an experience that I gained some learnings, take aways, and realizations. I still remember Typhoon Ondoy, one of the most devastating typhoons that hit the country. More than 500,000 people remain displaced because of the storm. My typhoon experience had improved, if I could call it that, when I moved out of our house and lived in other cities. When we reached Butuan, we finally got the network signal wed all been waiting for. I was so lonely and envied the couples because at least they got each other to rely on in a desperate situation like this. The wind and rain immediately gushed in and I used my right foot to help me hold the door, I cannot see a thing except that the sky was a little dim and gray. Just six weeks ago, Super Typhoon Rai, locally known as Odette, made its first landfall on 16 December 2021, bringing torrential rains, violent winds, floods and storm surges to the Visayas and Mindanao Islands. Typhoon Odette was not the first time Philippines experienced a super typhoon, recent one prior to Odette was Yolanda (Haiyan) which wreck havoc also the Visayas but in the northern part. Connecting rooms are also available on request. Located along the typhoon belt in the western Pacific Ocean, the Philippines regularly experiences big storms but the climate crisis has caused these events to become more extreme and unpredictable. Nearly 4 million people across more than 400 cities were affected by Typhoon Rai, according to the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). It was like we were back in the early 90s when mobile phones and the Internet were not widely available yet. However, my will to go home was stronger than the will to save money, so I grabbed the chance and just paid for it. UN CHT teams had discussions with local authorities on how to prevent water-borne and vector-borne diseases that could easily overwhelm the damaged health facilities. The only consolation is that none of us were hurt. Broken wood, scraps of metal, and plastic waste line the shore, where an exhausted stray dog sleeps. Tens of thousands of people were being evacuated to safety in the southern and central Philippines as Typhoon Rai approached Thursday at a time when authorities were warning the public to avoid crowds after the first infections caused by the omicron strain of the coronavirus were reported in the country, officials said. Id expect to see a frog, a gecko, even a snake but a crab?! When I visited Siargao in 2018, there were so many things I didn't do; surfing, renting and driving a scooter, partying, and swimming with the stingless jellyfish. And now, they face the nearly impossible task of rebuilding their homes without enough food to eat or water to drink. The rain had been pouring nonstop, and it started to flood the lobby. But many others were not. Update Dec. 30, 2021. My family and I helplessly watched as the waves carried away what was left of our bedroom. Around two out of five barangay health stations (41%) and almost one of three hospitals (28%) were damaged. More than a week after Typhoon Odette battered Dinagat Island, the grass has started to grow and the trees that managed to stay upright have sprouted new leaves. Even though we are poor, we have a party every Christmas.. Amid the absence of clean water sources, cases of deaths due to diarrhoea have been reported in Caraga. I continued locking the screendoor but as I was doing it I took a glimpse of the world as Im confident that I wont be hit by sharp flying object unless I will let go of the door. Protection risks, including gender-based violence, human trafficking, and other risks have dramatically increased, especially for boys, girls, women and for other vulnerable groups. We left after lunchtime and traveled for about an hour to reach Dapa. Prior to the Typhoon, many of the cities and municipalities in the worst affected provinces already had a high poverty incidence, categorized as 2nd to 6th class. We shared the van with this other group of tourists that we met on the boat. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. I was terrified as I was closing the screendoor, what if a flying sharp object will fall or hit me? This was it; Id finally reached my destination. On December 16th, 2021, Typhoon Odette made landfall in Cebu, City. I was busy removing the flood water when suddenly a large thud sound from above happened. My new friends were worried about their families, who were most certainly sick and worried about them. And then I realized what it was; it was a huge fudging crab! The Typhoon has exacerbated vulnerabilities. An estimated 2.3 million people need WASH assistance, while the WASH cluster will target 520,000 with emergency WASH services.. I met the other guests, two couples named Louie, Audrey, Laiza, and Mark. In December, the chief stated that damage to infrastructure and agriculture was estimated at 23.4 billion pesos ($459 million)., The United Nations said that, Latest assessments show that 11 out of the Philippines 17 regions were affected by the passage of Rai, which is known locally as Odette. She cannot afford to rebuild from scratch, she said. I told them I had been walking for almost 2 hours and kept losing my way. It caused massive electricity and telecommunications outages that continue to affect many areas., The UNs Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) provided a comparison on Jan. 11, 2022 of the differences between Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda and Rai/Odette. I didnt experience getting flooded again; even if the power went out, I didnt feel so miserable because my place was not damp and dirty. WFP also stated that, Alarming malnutrition rates pre-typhoon in some impacted areas could further deteriorate unless immediate food needs are met in the next six months. I didnt get her name, but Im so thankful to her for accepting us. Compared to my friends, I had a boring experience, who ticked all these things and came home with amazing stories to tell. Affected communities are likely to experience disease outbreaks and acute malnutrition, due to lack of access to clean water and healthy food, in addition to disrupted medical services. Power in most areas is still down and communication lines are just being built back up, and stories from survivors are starting to come in.. It may take years, however, for the coconut trees to recover and bear fruit again. The government of the Philippines is seeking both cash andarranged/supportedin-kind donations for the following items: food supplies, hygiene items, shelter materials, water and shelter repair materials. Families like Lacias lost everything. National and local authorities rapidly mounted search, rescue, emergency relief and road clearing operations as soon as weather conditions improved. It was such a relief that finally, we escaped Siargao. The devastation risks exacerbating pre-existing labour market challenges for various vulnerable groups. Dumduma said the disaster has also devastated these families livelihoods. I had a smooth direct flight from Manila to Siargao. When Super Typhoon Rai (Odette) barrelled down on the Philippines on 16 December 2021, its 195km/h winds and torrential rain tore through hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses and vital infrastructure, putting millions of lives in peril. We had the most traumatic experience on December 16 when Typhoon Odette entered the country and left massive damage in many places, including my hometown. I need to save my screendoor and the sanity of my neighbor so I opened the door lightly and slowly.. I kept checking my phone, willing the network signal to return, but it didnt. It was horrible, and it was just one of the many that wed weathered all those years that I was living there. I was worried about many things, and all I wanted was for the storm to be over. The other group that the couples met during the storm seemed to be taking the situation much better than us. The damage from the Typhoon had a profound impact on infrastructure and basic services. 2023 Cable News Network. When we used the toilet, we couldnt flush it down because even the water level inside that toilet had gone up over the bowl. The mother suddenly instructed her daughter to drive me to the resort with their scooter. I heard the same guy saying that bathing was the best feeling ever after he was done showering. Access to clean and safe water and adequate sanitation are a critical issues immediately after a typhoon and are especially challenging in an island environment. Updated Flooding is our nations most common natural disaster. Countries, territories and areas in the WHO Western Pacific Region: When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. I made a comment about where in the law did it say that having a bonfire is illegal. We were able to board the second boat and let me tell you, they filled it to its full capacity, not giving anyone legroom. A similar process happened in the Gulf of Mexico in August with Hurricane Ida. Those in evacuation centres many of them schools are living in congested conditions with limited access to adequate WASH facilities that meet COVID-19 health standards. Gazi - where to stay in Athens on a budget. All of a sudden, the dorm rooms were filled with people as they moved the guests who were staying at the villas. Where the tourists went, we had no idea. This BHS is in Loreto town at the northern tip ofDinagatIsland. By 7PM rain started to pour with wind slowly accelerating and getting stronger. Kairos Dela Cruz, deputy head of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, said developing countries are reaching their limit of being able to handle natural disasters on their own and those that live in low-lying, coastal areas will soon lose their homes to rising sea levels. The seawater eventually entered our house and left holes in our bamboo floor. However, because no news that reached us about it unlike those times where regional TV network reported to their mother network in NCR, we were blind. The Typhoon severely affected an estimated 9.9 million people across the six worst hit regions, leaving about 2.4 million people in need of assistance. We found a van that could drive us to Butuan Airport; we paid around 800 per head. My skin had even grown darker; so much for getting a tan without hitting the beach. As of Jan. 17, 2022, 45% of the needed funds had been pledged to support the Humanitarian Needs and Priorities. The government-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation sent 9,000 relief packs, as well as other non-food items, to several communities and plans to send an additional 8,000 relief packs. So we asked Mang Ernie, the resorts guard, to help us find a van to drive us to Dapa Port. Looking back, I deeply regret not listening to the news. In the past two weeks, Reymon and his family have been taking refuge in Bantilis, the newly built two-story evacuation centre in Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands. The next day, the deluge has come. We heard theres a way to leave the island via boat in Dapa Port. We had nothing to eat, Sayson said. My neighbor texted me about my screendoor that keeps banging; I immediately went off from bed and went downstairs, there I saw flooded floor and the sound of the screendoor banging as if asking for help. (Photo by the Bubong Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office). Her only condition was not to tell anyone that they were accepting guests. Then the foundation crumbled. A study published in November by researchers at the Shenzhen Institute of Meteorological Innovation and the Chinese University of Hong Kong found typhoons in Asia could have double their destructive power by the end of the century. The United Nations launched a $107.2 million appeal with $25 million requested as part of the total from the World Food Programme to support food, logistics and telecommunications support. In 1991, Attiki's population was 3,523,407. Rai/Odette made several other landfalls at Category 3 and 4 intensities throughout the day as it moved through the Philippines. 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