Situation Update
Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in Eastern Samar, Philippines on Friday, 8 November 2013, with maximum sustained winds of 235kph causing widespread damage and deaths. The Philippines authorities estimate approximately 6.9 million people have been affected across 39 provinces with over 41,000 houses damaged, and with about 600,000 people displaced and served inside and outside evacuation centres.
Critical city infrastructures such as electricity, water and phone services have been cut or interrupted. Access to affected communities remains difficult as roads remain blocked. The city of Tacloban was hardest hit, with storm surges which pushed water far inland reported as high as three meters. Major damages have also been reported in Cebu and Panay there are indications of widespread damage with up to 90% of buildings destroyed or damaged in many areas and reports of severe flooding in Oriental Mindoro.
The typhoon struck Northern Vietnam on 11 November 2013 as a tropical storm with reduced intensity. According to some news media there is reported death toll of more than 10 people.
Red Cross Action
The following actions have been completed by 12 November 2013:
Philippines
The International Red Cross is appealing for approximately HK$730 million, planning to assist at least 100,000 families with food, clean water, shelter and other essential relief over a period of 18 months; The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has deployed assessment teams to Tacloban, Ormoc, northern Cebu and Panay, to evaluate the damage;
PRC have established Welfare Desks including Restoring Family Links (RFL) and tracing services in evacuation centers, local red cross chapters and other central locations for family tracing and psychosocial support;
PRC is conducting search and rescue operations and first aid and serving hot food in evacuations centres and distributing food and relief stocks; 25 vehicles have been mobilised from Manila for Tacloban including ambulances, water trucks and relief supplies to support relief efforts.
Vietnam
Vietnam Red Cross (VNRC) assisted with other agencies in the evacuation of some 600,000 residents from the central province and now assisting them to return home as the route of typhoon changes course; 15 National Disaster Response teams and 9 Water and Sanitation teams are on standby for immediate deployment; The Red Cross Chapters in the northern provinces prepositioned stocks (food and non-food items), with 5,000 household kits and 12,000 boxes of instant noodles and rice for emergency distribution.
Hong Kong Red Cross Action
The Hong Kong Red Cross (HKRC) has launched on Emergency Appeal on 12 November 2013 to support relief efforts in the Philippines via the International Red Cross and initially pledged HK$500,000 to support the Typhoon Haiyan Operation. HKRC appeals to the public for those in dire needs.
HKRC is also working with the International Red Cross to deploy medical volunteers to the Philippines to deliver emergency health care service to the affected population.
Emergency tracing service and psychological support hotline service are offered to people in Hong Kong looking for missing families in the Philippines due to this disaster.
Emergency tracing service enquiry
For emergency tracing service, please email to tracing@redcross.org.hk or refer to the below website: www.redcross.org.hk/en/tracing_service/emergency_tracing_introduction.html
The service can be reached by 2507-7135 (during office hour) and 5511-2382 (during off hours - Saturday to Sunday: 9am to 12am; Monday to Friday: 6pm to 12am).
General Enquiry
Please call 2802-0016, fax to 2802-0017 or email to relief@redcross.org.hk.