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Philippines

Number of ShelterBoxes sent to typhoon-hit Philippines tops 1,000

More than 10,000 people who lost their homes in a series of typhoons to hit the Philippines have been given emergency shelter by an international disaster relief charity.

ShelterBox has now deployed a total of 1,145 boxes of aid in the country which has been ravaged by four typhoons in recent months and its worst flooding in 40 years.

These ShelterBoxes filled with tents and emergency supplies are providing shelter to people who have lost their homes due to floods, high winds and landslides.

The most recent, Typhoon Mirinae (Santi) made landfall in the country's central Luzon island at the weekend, with wind speeds of nearly 100 miles per hour, bringing torrential rains and landslides to areas still flooded from three, previous typhoons.

In August, Typhoon Morakot brought a trail of destruction to the Zambales Province leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. This was followed by Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy), which hit Manila in September, and Typhoon Parma which struck the northern regions of the Philippines last month. These typhoons resulted in record-high rainfall being dumped on the Philippines that submerged 80% of the capital and wide stretches of farmland in the northern provinces, killing more than 900 people and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. In total, the four storms have affected more than 9 million people.

Since August, international disaster relief charity ShelterBox, based in Helston, Cornwall, has sent 1,145 boxes of aid to the Philippines, with 200 ShelterBoxes having been delivered this week. A series of volunteer, ShelterBox Response Teams (SRT) have been deployed in the country to ensure the boxes are distributed to those in greatest need. The current team of Ron Noseworthy (CA), Rachel Simpkins (UK) and Greg Moran (AU) are being joined by two more SRT volunteers, Mark Curnow (UK) and Claire Noseworthy (CA), this week.

SRT member Ron Noseworthy said: 'The effects of Typhoon Ketsana caused extensive flooding of the coastal lowlands and massive landslides in mountainous Luzon. The mountains to the north of the city of Baguio, where we worked, are remote and rugged with roads badly damaged by the landslides. Three weeks after Parma, some mountain villages are still cut off and many more are just getting roads opened.

'Our ShelterBox tents and supplies were very gratefully received by people who were living in evacuation centres, makeshift shelters or sharing very cramped living quarters with friends and families. We provided tents for one group that consisted of 13 families sharing one house.'

ShelterBox General Manager, Lasse Petersen, said: 'People living in areas previously affected by the typhoons in late September and early October continue to need our assistance. Our teams on the ground are continuing to work to get ShelterBoxes to those who need them the most.'

*ShelterBox Response Team members are available for media interviews in the Philippines and when they return from the field. To arrange interviews or for more information or high resolution images, please contact Angelina Lambourn on 01326 569782 or angelinal@shelterbox.org*