On Sunday the 1st of November, the devastating Typhoon Rolly/Goni struck the Philippines, bringing winds of over 310KMH and storm surges of over 5 metres. Following this, on the 11th of November the Philippines was hit by yet another Typhoon (Vamco), bringing further rains and devastation being the fifth major storm to hit the Philippines since early October and the most deadliest. The Philippines has regularly experienced typhoons, however, with the ongoing impact of climate change their frequency and ferocity has been rapidly increasing.

Typhoon Rolly/Goni was the second to hit the Philippines in a week, with this typhoon bringing winds and rain not experienced since Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 which saw 6,300 people lose their lives and over $3 billion in damage. Learning from the devastation caused by Haiyan the government and other actors worked swiftly to evacuate as many people as possible ahead of Rolly/Goni making landfall. The devastation caused by Typhoon Rolly/Goni and Vamco has affected more than 1 million families with at least 138,000 people seeking refuge in evacuation centres.

Act for Peace has been supporting the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and its members over the last five years in disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response, so that they can act as first responders for their community in the event that an emergency situation occurs. NCCP has ensured that local communities are prepared to respond to crises such as this, and we will continue to support them in the face of this most recent crisis.

Act for Peace’s partner NCCP currently aims to address the most urgent and life-saving needs of the most vulnerable communities in Albany province through its local church constituents.

Act for Peace will continue to work closely with NCCP to support the local disaster response over the coming days and weeks. As information from the field comes in we will continue to update our supporters on the work NCCP will be undertaking to ensure those most affected receive the necessary shelter, water, medicine and food supplies they need.

_{Image Credit: CHINE NOUVELLE/SIPA/Shutterstock}