Caritas seeks global help for typhoon victims

STORM-TOSSED LIVES A child watches over his house left a shambles by Typhoon “Rolly” after it pounded the coastal village of Bolo in Tiwi town, Albay province, on Sunday. A Catholic charity group, Caritas Philippines, is appealing for global aid for hundreds of thousands of Filipinos displaced by the storm. —MARK ALVIC ESPLANA

MANILA, Philippines — The charity group Caritas Philippines has made a “global aid appeal” for hundreds of thousands of Filipinos displaced by Typhoon Rolly, which killed at least 20 in the Bicol Region.

Caritas Philippines national director Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said the funds would be used to buy food, water and provide emergency shelter to those heavily hit by the typhoon.

“With humility, we appeal for everyone’s sincere acts of kindness, generosity and compassion,” he said, adding that the typhoon would bring greater poverty as we still face the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States and China have expressed solidarity with the Filipino people as they vowed to provide humanitarian assistance to families affected by Rolly.

“Our thoughts are with those affected by typhoon #RollyPH. The US stands ready to help,” said US Embassy Charge d’Affaires John Law in a post on Twitter.

Law said they were working with the World Food Programme Philippines and the International Organization for Migration to deliver relief supplies and provide emergency shelter supplies in Bicol.

The Chinese government also issued a statement expressing solidarity and offer help to the Filipino people affected by the calamity.

“We are deeply saddened by the massive destruction caused by Typhoon Rolly. Our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the victims and the families who have suffered immense losses of lives and properties, and sincerely hope for speedy recovery in the affected areas,” the Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement.

“We stand ready to join the recovery efforts to help those hit by the powerful typhoon,” it added.

A report by the CBCP.net, the official news site of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said the Archdiocese of Manila released an initial P1 million to support affected communities.

Around 390,000 people were displaced by Rolly with 347,000 still in evacuation centers, the CBCP report said.