Present update (Dec 15, 2pm LT)
Official death toll now stands at 6,057 with 1,779 persons missing and 27,468 injured (source NDRRMC).
For full NDRRMC update Click Here. This reports also includes list of affected areas and casualties.
An estimated 4 million people became homeless when more than 500,000 homess were totally destroyed. The total estimated damage breached P30Billion.
Relief goods continue to flow into the country and are concentrated on the badly affected areas on the East coast of Leyte where the typhoon came ashore. Not all areas have been reached yet.
In many areas relief operations are shifting from emergency aid to rebuilding support. Focussing on the preventing outbreak of diseases and establishing basic services. Large areas remain without electricity and this situation is expected to continue for some time.
The transport of relief goods collected in Manila remains a challenge as it is attempted mostly by road. The Matnog bottleneck is being cleared and a total of sixteen barges are now operating between Matnog and Allen in addition to the ferries. Bulan port has been dedicated to crossings of relief goods only.
Major concern is the health situation as many still do not have access to fresh drinking water and are without proper sanitation. So far no major outbreaks have been reported but according to relief organizations the risk is increasing with the day.
A Dutch national one day campaign on TV on Monday Nov 18 raised Euro 18.2 Million (over P1Billion). As of today this amount now stands at Euro 30Million. A second plane with relief goods from Holland arrived in Cebu last Friday evening but as of yesterday goods were not cleared yet by cusoms.
Dutch ship owners donated Euro 100,000.
Dutch Shipowners pledged Euro 250,000 to rebuilding PIT and relieve in and around Palompon/Leyte.
The world bank will grant a $500M emergency loan to the Philippines.
Avior Principals Seatrade and Triton have decided to set up a Relief fund. Donations are now coming in and will be doubled by Seatrade/Triton. The fund is to provide relief to those most badly affected and in need for emergency help. Agencies are asked to identify the most dramatic cases. Seatrade continued to support and organization that sends foodpacks from Cebu to Palompon and the sixth shipment of 3800 foodpacks were distributed over the weekend. The organization is now slowly moving from emergency aid to livelyhood aid.
The number of AVIOR seafarers families that cannot be contacted reduced to below twenty. In most cases family could not be contacted because communications were down, cellphones could not be recharged as there was no electricity or familymembers had changed cellphone numbers. In some cases the help of other crewmembers living in the area is used to check if families are ok. Crew on board is informed whenever families are located.
No casualties have been reporeted amongst Avior seafarers but sadly severla cases were reported where family members were amongst the casualties. Those cases were reported from Tacloban, Guiuan and Ormoc. Many families have suffered damage or lost their house completely. Avior is in consultation with Principals on how those families can best be assisted.
Drop off point for goods have been created within the Avior Office and first collection by the Red Cross has taken place.
Crew operations continue as planned.
The evening was opened in prayer by Fleet Manager Capt Paz and inspirational words from Avior VP Capt Ranara and the overseas guests. Ample thought was also given to those less fortunate in the areas affected by typhoon Yolanda.