November 16, 2013 – Lola's Curmudgeonly Musings

To those of you who have already made efforts to help, thank you. I know first-hand how impoverished much of the Philippines is. A disaster such as this typhoon would cause massive destruction anywhere, even cities or regions with strong infrastructures, so I can only imagine the damage and destruction that has been left in category 5 Haiyan’s wake. A Reuters report states that “the storm lashed the islands of Leyte and Samar with 275-kph wind gusts and 5-6 meter (15-19 ft) waves on Friday.” An estimated nine million people have been affected by this super storm.

Please remember, cash is the best thing to donate after a disaster, not canned good, old shoes, or teddy bears. Relief efforts need to concentrate on helping people in need, not in sorting through donations. Please consider making a donation through one of the organizations listed below (just a few of the legitimate organizations participating in relief efforts).

I could post pictures of the people, but choosing just a few doesn’t seem to begin to cover it. For many stories on the people and what is being done, here is a link. The following aerial images show you what is left after the typhoon hit:

Typhoon Haiyan’s impact revealed in before-and-after satellite images By NBC News

From Yahoo:

With reports of more than 10,000 estimated casualties, and an excess of 9 million people affected, Typhoon Haiyan is one of the most devastating storms ever to make landfall.

With the Red Cross and other agencies saying they expect the number of casualties and total damage from the storm to soar, there are many organizations stepping up to provide relief to the victims and families of Haiyan.

Here are just some of them:

American Red Cross: Sent support specialists to help the hardest hit areas.

Direct Relief International: Direct Relief is collaborating with its partner on the ground, Asia America Initiative (AAI), to coordinate the delivery of needed medical aid, which is expected to arrive in the Philippines capital, Manila, early next week. The donation contains antibiotics, pain relievers, nutritional supplements, anti-fungal medications, wound dressings, and chronic disease medicines.

Global Giving: Initially, the fund will help first responders meet survivors’ immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter. Once initial relief work is complete, this fund will transition to support longer-term Haiyan recovery efforts run by local, vetted Filipino organizations.

Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is launching immediate relief efforts after one of the strongest storms in recorded history devastates the Philippines.

Oxfam: Oxfam rapid assessment teams are poised to provide emergency supplies and shelter in parts of the Philippines hit by Typhoon Haiyan.

ShelterBox: Donations designated toward ShelterBox’s Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts will be used to supply the most vital equipment needed and will not be assigned box tracking numbers. Each ShelterBox supplies an extended family with a tent and essential equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless.

UNICEF: UNICEF is working to provide safe water, hygiene supplies, food, shelter and a safe environment to recover.

World Food Programme: WFP is mobilizing quickly to reach those in need. Please make a donation now to provide emergency food assistance to families and children.

Or, check out check out Charity Navigator or GuideStar. These are two websites that are extremely useful tools in finding out where your dollars will be stretched the furthest in relief aid.

The Ten Worst Things to Donate after a Disaster:

10. Used Clothing

9. Shoes

8. Blankets

7. Teddy Bears

6. Medicine

5. Pet Supplies

4. Mixed Items

3. Canned Food and Bottled Water

2. Your Unsolicited Help

1. Money to the Wrong People

If anyone knows of any links that might be useful to add to this post, please let me know.