Typhoon Haiyan

We start our December series on charitable giving and natural disaster relief efforts with the most immediate need. Super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) touched down in Philippines  just over a month ago reaching its peak on November 7, 2103. Haiyan is deadliest typhoon in the Philippines history and has killed more than 5,700 people so far with the death toll rising daily. Haiyan caused catastrophic damage to the archipelago that makes up the Phillippines, including devastating the coastal city of Tacloban, home to 220,000 people before the typhoon, leaving it to be entirely re-built.

The most immediate needs are for medical aid, drinking water, food, and shelter. With millions left homeless, rampant looting, and more than 600 schools destroyed it will take a world wide effort to help rebuild and restore normal life to the Philippines.

Our country’s diversity connects us to many communities throughout the world. So when disaster strikes whether at home or far away, it resonates with us. This is true of Typhoon Haiyan as well. There are at least 3.4 million people of Filipino descent living in the U.S., most of whom reside in California according to the U.S. census. So although this typhoon geographically was far from here, it hit close to home for many of our friends and colleagues.

Many organizations sprang into action after Typhoon Haiyan hit and have been working on the ground to provide aid ever since. Listed below are just a few of the organizations currently working in the Philippines that need your support. All donations are tax deductible.

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The International Rescue Committee (IRC) – leading the way from harm to home
Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein the IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees fleeing from war or disaster. Today they operate in more than 40 countries and 22 cities across the U.S. and work to help people survive and re-build after the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

An emergency response team has been dispatched by the IRC to the Philippines and will lead efforts related to four critical humanitarian needs: health, food, water and sanitation, and shelter and non-food items. They will work closely with programs to protect some of the most vulnerable groups including women, children and the elderly. Updates from the IRC’s emergency response efforts are available on their website  and on Twitter at @theIRC.

You can donate to the IRC’s Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts here. All donations made online until December 31 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million dollars by the IRC.

Action Against Hunger/ACF International – committed to ending world hunger     
Action Against Hunger/ACF International is a humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger. A recognized leader in the fight against malnutrition, Action Against Hunger/ACF International has been working in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity to provide access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger for the past thirty years. Action Against Hunger/ACF International has more than 5,00 field staff  in forty three countries and assists an estimated 7 million people each year through their capacity building program that collaborates with various governments.

The organization has been working in the Philippines since 2000 so their experts in the area were able to form an immediate post-typhoon emergency response. On-the-ground experts have been conducting needs assessments, setting up water filtration systems, distributing drinking water, and preparing survival kits that include buckets, soap, and chlorine tablets for the some 650,000 survivors. They are also working to restore economic self-sufficiency to the most vulnerable areas of Tacloban and Capiz.

To donate to Action Against Hunger/ACF International’s Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts click here.

International Medical Corps – saving lives and relieving suffering
Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization that’s mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities around the world. The International Medical Corps works to rehabilitate devastated health care systems and restore them to self-reliance through trainings to local populations and immediate medical assistance to people with the highest risk.

In partnership with the Philippine Department of Health and other humanitarian organizations the International Medical Crops emergency response team on the ground in the Philippines is providing food, water, and medical services via ten mobile medical units in the hardest hit areas. The mobile medical units have been able to provide services on hard to reach islands that are in desperate need of medical care and basic resources. Other top priorities for the International Medical Corps in the Philippines include ensuring basic water supplies, sanitation and hygiene and infection control.

You can donate to the International Medical Corps Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts here.

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If you know of a relief organization helping the people of the Philippines recover, please feel free to share it with us.

The Collaborative Services Team