The situation in storm-ravaged Philippines is drastically worsening, as a bottleneck of aid workers and supplies in the decimated city of Tacloban and surrounding areas threatens to produce more fatalities than the 10,000+ already feared from Typhoon Haiyan:
Deaths from disease, starvation and neglected injuries will soon begin to mount if the massive numbers of displaced Filipinos cannot find food, water, shelter and medicine pronto, warn humanitarian agencies familiar with the issues and logistics of administering disaster relief to stricken countries.
And, logistically, the destruction to the central Philippines is an apocalyptic nightmare, they say, with barely any structures spared by the unprecedented super-storm, and rotting corpses everywhere.
Understandably, survivors have grown desperate, and even ill, awaiting much needed assistance that seemingly won't come to them. And, realistically, it's only a question of days -- or maybe even only hours -- before the island nation's worse catastrophe becomes a full blown public health crisis.
Thus, today, among the miles of rubble, carnage and decay, those Filipinos who can still stand are painting SOSs or waving placards in hopes of being saved.
"Help us," they all proclaim.
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UPDATE at 9:30AM on 11/14/13: Amid gunfire, gangs and grief, the US Navy arrives in the Philippines.
ReplyDeleteHumanitarian agencies already there and struggling to aid hundreds of thousands of victims of Typhoon Yolanda urge Americans who want to help to "send only cash" now ... and to do it TODAY.
Lawlessness and disease is the newest affliction the decimated island nation is now grappling with -- use and share the above donor links to contribute to ongoing disaster relief for this crippled third-world country.
E.R.