(26/06/08) The United Evangelical Mission (UEM) supports relief efforts of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) with 10,000 euros after typhoon Fengshen wields destruction in several parts of the Philippines.

360,000 people are said to have become homeless according to official media reports. Countless houses and fields were destroyed before farmers could bring in the harvest which would have been due in two weeks.

The UCCP supports their members as well as other affected families with food, medicine, clothing and temporary shelter.

Particularly affected regions:

South Luzon: Southern-Tagalog, Mindoro and Palawan. Badly hit is the Palawan area.  Houses and livelihood projects have been destroyed. As most of the population in these areas are farmers and the harvest was supposed to be in two weeks time, the damage this calamity causes is immense, Bishop Jessie Suarez of South Luzon Jurisdiction says.

Bishop Dulce Rose from East Visayas jurisdiction reported that the conferences Samer, Biliran, Masbati and Burias Island are badly hit. 200 families (UCCP members only) are affected.

In West Visayas jurisdiction, the Ilo-ilo conference is particularly affected, Project officer Rev. Raymond Geloagan told UEM Asia executive secretary Sonia Parera Hummel. Houses are under water, electricity facilities are destroyed.

Donations for the UCCP are most welcome:

United Evangelical Mission

KD-Bank eG

Sort code: 350 601 90

Swift code: DENO DE D1 DKD

IBAN: DE45 3506 0190 0009 0909 08

account number: 90 90 90 8

key word: Typhoon Philippines