We’re raising money for the victims of the deadly typhoon in the Philippines and sending an emergency response team from Prague!

According to experts, Haiyan was the most powerful typhoon on record to make landfall, with winds reaching up to 275 kph and up to 400 mm of rain falling at certain locations.

Along with the estimated 10,000 death toll in the central Philippines, Samar Island officials have confirmed 300 dead and another 2,000 missing. In Leyte Province, 70 to 80 percent of the land has been ravaged and destroyed by the super typhoon. A large number of seaside towns were also leveled by 15-meter high waves, which, according to Reuters, killed hundreds of people.

“Numerous areas are still inaccessible, so the death toll is expected to climb,” stated Marek Štys, the Head of Relief Programmes of People in Need. According to the BBC, there is no drinking water and electricity in the afflicted areas and the food stock is growing thin. Both telephone and internet wires are down, and there has been significant damage to infrastructure. According to UNO data, 18 million people live in the most afflicted areas.

“Based on our experience we’re assuming that the local situation is much worse. Therefore, we’re deploying own relief team to assess the local situation and start organizing relief work,” commented Marek Štys.

“The team will have 500,000 Czech crowns at its disposal from the Friends of People in Need Club’s relief fund budget, and we’re ready to raise this sum according to the situation on location,” he added.

For more information, please contact:

Marek Štys, Head of Relief Programmes at People in Need, 777 053 522. Marek.Stys@clovekvtisni.cz

Written by: Petr Štefan, Media Coordinator