According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 68.6 million people are affected, with 24.3 million living in the worst-hit areas. Of the 2.3 million vulnerable people living in the most affected areas, an estimated 724,000 are children.
Significant flooding and damage to infrastructure are being reported. According to initial reports, 10 people have lost their lives, including a five-year-old child, due to drowning and falling debris.
“UN agencies and humanitarian NGOs are already working with relevant Government departments and offices, Philippine Red Cross, and with private sector groups to coordinate our efforts to support the conduct of rapid needs assessments and swiftly assist the most vulnerable people caught in the typhoon’s destructive path,” he added.
Gustavo Gonzalez, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, said that relief workers have not waited for the landfall to mobilize teams and take action.
‘Prepare for the worst’
Mr. Gonzalez also called on everyone to follow the guidance being given by the authorities.
“The people of the Philippines are incredibly resilient, but this is a very dangerous typhoon … we must prepare for the worst and be ready to save lives,” he said.
“In the next hours and days we must do everything in our power to save lives and ensure that no-one is left behind,” added the UN official.
