Search Here

Last Friday Typhoon Haiyan caused a mass level devastation in Philippines. It completely blew away homes and livelihoods of the residents.

Four days after the devastations, victims are yet to receive proper assistance. Only minimal amounts of water, food and medical supplies are making to the hardest hit areas by far.

However two more airports in the region had reopened which will help aid operations to pick up pace.

Garrett Ingoglia, vice president of emergency response for the non-profit talked with USA Today about the health and medical challenges ahead. According to him the situations are getting worse as medical supplies has been drastically reduced. Also people’s personal supply of medicines from health facilities have ended.

Contaminated water is another matter of serious concern. It is likely that after such a huge disaster, the water is going to be contaminated and hence would lead to water-borne diseases.

"The entire country is coastal areas. It isn’t like India. There isn’t much inland. This typhoon made landfall in the Philippines nine times at different locations. You had not just the wind, but the tidal surges and the swelling of water,’’ said Warner Passanisi, the global emergency response coordinator at ChildFund International, according to Los Angeles Times.

“These are still the very early days. There are villages that have not been reached by aid at all, virtually all of its infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. And it’s not like aid is going to get in there and then the problem will be solved. They’re going to need assistance for a long, long time. Right now, we’re still talking about lifesaving medicine, water, food, things like that. But the longer people are living in that situation, the more unhealthy it is,” Garrett answered to USA Today on being asked about the medical road ahead.

Till now the U.N. has already released $25 million in emergency and other governments too have pledged more than $35 million.