Persons affected by Odette shoots up to 3.9 million; 108,000 houses totally damaged — DSWD

Typhoon Odette victims stand by the roadside, appealing for help. Photos courtesy: PeerShare Inc.

MANILA, Philippines — The number of individuals affected by Typhoon Odette as of Saturday is at 3,918,689 or 1,000,742 families, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said in its Dromic Report.

Aside from that, DSWD also said that 108,082 homes have been totally damaged, while 216,371 houses have sustained partial damages.

This is slightly higher than Friday’s tally of 3,599,109 individuals affected by Typhoon Odette, and the 95,438 houses totally damaged.

However, less people remained in evacuation centers: of the 3.9 million people affected by the typhoon, 285,267 are inside evacuation centers, compared to Friday’s 303,592.

In terms of assistance transferred to Odette-hit areas, the total worth of aid provided by DSWD, local government units, and non-government organizations (NGOs) is now at P104,317,486.

From last December 16 to 18, Typhoon Odette ravaged through the northern parts of Mindanao, southern portions of Visayas, and then over to Palawan — leaving a trail of destruction which is being compared to Super Typhoon Yolanda’s effects in 2013.

As of Saturday morning, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) said that 367 were dead due to Odette, while 51 remain missing. However, both NDRRMC and DSWD clarified that numbers are still undergoing validation.

EDV