A YEAR since Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, causing devastation, Warrington residents have raised more than £10,500 towards the relief fund organised by Christian Aid.
This has helped Christian Aid and partner organisations to reach more than 290,000 people with much-needed immediate food and shelter, as well as new means of earning an income.
An estimated 6,000 people were killed and many more faced an uncertain future after their ways of earning a living – namely fishing and coconut
Farming – were destroyed. In some areas, 95 per cent of coconut trees were demolished and the majority of boats were wrecked.
To date, Christian Aid’s Typhoon Haiyan Appeal has raised more than £2.8 million – thanks to the generosity of the British people, including those from Warrington.
Linda Tiongco, Christian Aid’s head of Westside Region, helped to co-ordinate the relief effort.
She said: “One year on from the devastation of the typhoon, the Filipino people have started on the long road to recovery. Our focus now is on assisting families and communities to rebuild stronger homes and livelihoods so that they can better withstand the next typhoon, which will surely come”.
Christian Aid’s head of Humanitarian Aid, Nick Guttmann, who travelled to the region days after Haiyan hit and recently revisited, said: “Last year, I witnessed utter devastation and immense personal suffering.
“Last week, I returned to the same areas and saw massive changes – all the debris has been cleared away, electricity and telecommunications are back up and running, everyone had received some form of support and huge building and reconstruction work is taking place. It looked completely different.
“People are doing whatever they can to bring back normality, but many are without work; the coconut harvest is a mere 10 per cent of what it was before the typhoon. Millions still live in makeshift shelters because it will take years to rebuild over a million homes.”
Picture: Filipino people working to recover their livelihoods.
Warrington's £10,000 aid for the Philippines
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About Author
Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
