World Vision distributes relief items to typhoon-affected communities

By Florence Joy Maluyo, World Vision Philippines. Photo Credit @Lanelyn Carillo    

Child-focused aid organisation World Vision begins its relief operations after typhoon Nockten (local name Nina) battered the Bicol Region on Christmas day.

More than 300 families in Lagonoy, Camarines Sur were provided with relief items, including hygiene kits, mosquito nets and blankets on January 6.

“These are helpful to us especially during these times. It gets cold at night. Mosquitoes are everywhere due to debris. We only share a blanket that we borrowed from a relative,”says 25-year old Josalyn. The typhoon destroyed her family’s house. Her husband, a construction worker, has been without income in the past days.

Their 5-year old daughter, Rosalyn, says she keeps coming back to where their house used to stand to see whether his father has built a new one.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reports that over 1.9 million people were affected across four regions, prompting several provinces to declare a state of calamity. The devastation caused by Nockten, the 14th typhoon to cross the country in 2016, rendered more than 240,000 houses either partially or totally damaged. It also caused massive devastation to vast farm lands, crippling the source of livelihood of most locals. Damage to infrastructure and agriculture stands at P4.121 billion (USD 83,058,541).

“This ongoing relief operation in the hardest-hit areas of Nockten seeks to complement government efforts. We thank everyone who continues to support our relief efforts,”says World Vision’s Acting Executive Director Rommel Fuerte.

World Vision hopes to complete its initial target of assisting 2,000 families in the next days.