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Notes from the Field
Cyclone
Friday October 2, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 3:30PM EST on October 2, 2009
by Celso Dulce Celso Dulce is CARE's Project Representative in the Philippines, and he is leading CARE's emergency response to Typhoon Ketsana in Manila. Celso is from Manila. It started to rain a few hours ago, and it's dark. Today we were supporting the government order to evacuate people from high-risk areas as a precautionary measure. I just returned from securing the warehouses for relief distribution, because the goods might be damaged. Another storm is coming. We don't know how bad, but the rain is getting harder. Some areas are still flooded. In some areas, we don't know why, the water started to rise again yesterday. Some areas are still hard to reach. With the oncoming typhoon, definitely we will see the floodwaters rising again. So people who returned to their homes, but they will have to go back to the evacuation centers or whatever safe place they have identified. This is very difficult, because people were just starting to clean their houses and now they have to leave again. Almost 300 people are dead. This is my city. I have never seen it like this. They call the new storm a 'super-typhoon', and people are becoming panicked. Just this afternoon, we received an SMS saying that the super-typhoon will hit by 9 p.m. tonight. Then we received another SMS saying it will hit Manila by 5 p.m. It creates a lot of fear and panic. We need to teach people what to do to prepare for the coming super-typhoon. They need to move to a safer ground. They shouldn't wait for the strong winds and floods, that will be too late. They have to follow government warnings. Survival steps, prepare water, prepare food that will cover for one or two days. The electricity company has already said there will be cut off in electricity. There is a high level of awareness, and the government units are doing their best to prepare. I hope there are no deaths this time. The biggest need right now is for food, safe water and emergency shelter, especially since it's raining again. People had been sent back home, because the schools were being used as shelters. Children have to go back to school. Classes had been cancelled for a week already. But now we will need emergency shelter again, mainly tarpaulins. Families have yet to rebuild their homes. Two days ago I visited one area. One family had a shelter barely larger than two metres by two metres made of salvaged material. As many as 10-14 people lived in this. They have to take turns sleeping, some during the night, some during the day. And then they were hit by the typhoon. For me, it was so depressing, because even before the disaster they were living in such a horrible condition, and the floods made it worse. The urban poor eat only twice a day, and have very poor quality food, maybe just plain rice and soy sauce. At times, they scavenge food from the garbage, but they can't now, because everything is contaminated by the flood. CARE is distributing drinking water and food that will last them for a week. We are also distributing emergency supplies like blankets, jerry cans to store water and plastic tarpaulins. One man said, we need assistance, my wife is sick. She was doing the cleaning after the floods, because a lot of mud and debris were in the households. It is the responsibility of the women to take care of the children and clean the house. They have to get food and take care of the children, and the children are getting sick. The requests for medical assistance is increasing. It has been a long week. I think of those families tonight. I watch the news and the path of the new typhoon. The rain is getting harder. Wednesday October 8, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 2:37PM EST on October 8, 2008
Recently, I accompanied our water and drainage specialist for an assessment of needs in the field. I love these privileged moments, to go in search of those with whom we will work hand-in-hand to develop projects. To form an answer to a problem is, above all, to talk with the people, to understand how they live, to take in their daily existence, and especially, to hear their problems, listen to their needs - to not show up with preconceived ideas. Wednesday June 25, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:29PM EST on June 25, 2008
Below, Chris Northey continues her reflections from the field while working as CARE's
... (more) Monday June 23, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 2:23PM EST on June 23, 2008
Chris Northey was deployed to Yangon on May 23 to begin her rotation as CARE's Wednesday May 14, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:50PM EST on May 14, 2008
Many articles have appeared in the news today reporting that a new storm is approaching the cyclone-devastated area of Myanmar. Early indications predict that the storm will dump heavy rains on already-saturated areas of Myanmar but is unlikely to develop into another significant tropical cyclone. In either case, the outcome will be dire, adding to the flooding and misery across the Irrawaddy Delta and the capital city of Yangon.
... (more) Monday May 12, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on May 12, 2008
As CARE’s emergency teams complete initial assessments in the Irrawaddy delta, gruesome scenes of bodies decomposing in the very ponds the Myanmarese use for drinking water are being reported. Corpses still cannot be buried and entire villages remain underwater, many with few survivors. ... (more)Thursday May 8, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:42PM EST on May 8, 2008
Today, we distributed rice to 3,000 people, using locally available food. On Wednesday, we distributed water to about 10,000 people in townships in Yangon. The recipients were those staying in temporary shelters and others who have no access to town water supplies. In addition to supplying them with bottled water, we cleaned the wells and toilets at the collective shelters, many of which are located in schools and pagodas.
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Posted by: CARE at 8:49AM EST on May 8, 2008
Cyclone Nargis has created a major humanitarian disaster in Myanmar - one that will require substantial international response. Even with the full extent of devastation yet to be determined, 60 years of disaster experience have taught us that clean water, food and certain basic items, like shelter materials, are initial priorities. Water and sanitation are also always key concerns. After a storm like this, most of the available drinking water is likely to be polluted. If you don't act quickly, there is a very real risk of an outbreak of disease. People need counseling on what's safe to do and what is not.
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