24.11.2020

Emergency aid for UEM member church after tropical storms in the Philippines

With emergency aid totaling 17,000 euros, the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, the Evangelical Church of Westphalia, the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck and the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) are supporting the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), a UEM member church, in coping with the consequences of several tropical storms in the Southeast Asian island state.

Super typhoon brought death and destruction

According to a report by the UCCP, between mid-October and early November this year, several tropical cyclones unfolded their destructive impact in various provinces of the country. In the northeast region of Luzon, for example, not only were hundreds of hectares of rice and corn fields flooded, but the harvest already brought in was also destroyed by persistent heavy rainfall. Cattle drowned and fish farms were destroyed.

Only a few days after the first storms, a so-called super typhoon with wind speeds of up to 225 km/h and gusts of up to 310 km/h hit the Bicol and South Luzon regions. Torrential rain caused flooding and landslides. In total, tens of thousands of private and public buildings were completely or partially destroyed. Public infrastructure such as electricity and water supplies and communication links were also devastated.

Victims are safely housed and cared for

UCCP needs the emergency aid to bring about 368,000 people in various centers to safety. The money will also be used to purchase the following relief goods: Food, drinking water, toiletries, medicines, sleeping mats as well as mouth-nose masks and separators to protect against Covid-19.