PH struggles with Typhoon Usagi’s flooding as relief efforts intensify
The Philippines is reeling from the aftermath of Typhoon Usagi, the fifth major storm to strike the country in less than a month. This latest typhoon brought intense rainfall, power outages, and massive flooding, leaving thousands of people displaced and in urgent need of assistance. As Usagi made landfall on Thursday afternoon, it caused widespread destruction in northern regions, including the sweeping away of homes and bridges. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported so far.
This storm follows closely on the heels of Typhoon Toraji, which hit the region just two days earlier, leaving significant damage and displacing more than 82,000 people. The overlap of these powerful typhoons has left communities struggling to recover as one storm after another disrupts their lives.
The United Nations has described the situation as exceptionally challenging, with the Philippines experiencing an unprecedented tropical cyclone season. “As soon as communities attempt to recover from the shock, the next tropical storm is already hitting them again,” said Gustavo Gonzalez, U.N. Philippines Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.
In response to the crisis, the U.N. Humanitarian Country Team has outlined an emergency plan to assist local authorities, who are overwhelmed by the ongoing storms. Despite the efforts to provide aid, local governments are finding it difficult to respond to multiple disasters at once.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has warned that the country is bracing for yet another typhoon, Man-yi, which is expected to make landfall on Saturday. He emphasized the need for increased preparation, urging officials to ensure that sufficient food and supplies are available to address the impact of the storm. “We are already in bad shape because of the saturation and damage,” Marcos said, highlighting the already weakened state of the nation’s infrastructure.
In addition to the Philippines, Tropical Storm Sara is causing havoc in Central America, with Mexico, Belize, and Honduras all issuing warnings. As the storm meanders near Honduras, it continues to produce catastrophic flooding and mudslides across the region. The National Hurricane Center predicts that Sara could drop up to 88 centimeters of rain in certain areas, exacerbating the already dire situation.
As the Philippines prepares for yet another typhoon, global communities remain on alert as storms continue to affect regions across the globe. The need for effective disaster response and relief efforts has never been more urgent.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. [VOA News]
