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Stamford, Conn. – Dec. 5, 2014 – AmeriCares is preparing to deliver emergency medical aid and relief supplies for Typhoon Hagupit, which is expected to be the worst storm of the year in the Philippines.
The storm, known locally as Ruby, is forecasted to make landfall Saturday local time with cyclone-force winds and drenching rain that could cause mudslides and severe flooding. Communities still recovering from Typhoon Haiyan 13 months ago are in the storm’s path, and thousands of Filipinos have evacuated their homes in advance of the storm.
An AmeriCares emergency response team in the Philippines spent Friday preparing hygiene kits for delivery to emergency shelters. AmeriCares relief workers are also preparing emergency shipments of medical aid from Connecticut and Amsterdam. Medicines, bandages, baby care supplies, soap and other personal care products are among the supplies that will be delivered in the coming days. AmeriCares also awarded emergency funding to a partner organization in the Philippines to purchase food and relief supplies locally for displaced families.
“Our team is ready to deploy to the disaster zone as soon as it is safe to travel,” said AmeriCares Associate Director of Emergency Response Karl Erdmann. “With thousands of evacuees in shelters we anticipate our help will be needed.”
AmeriCares has been responding to emergencies in the Philippines since 1985, most recently working alongside the Philippines Department of Health and local partners to repair health centers damaged or destroyed by Typhoon Haiyan. In the one year since Haiyan, AmeriCares has delivered $21 million in aid to help restore health care services and strengthen the health care system to prepare for future emergencies. Reconstruction is completed or underway on 74 health care facilities, restoring access to care for close to 2 million patients. Some of the facilities have been supplied with generators that would allow them to continue operating and treating the injured during power outages caused by severe storms.
AmeriCares has been aiding survivors of natural disasters, disease outbreaks, political conflict and extreme poverty around the world for more than 30 years, saving lives and restoring health and hope. The organization’s relief workers are among the first to respond to emergencies and stay as long as needed. On average, AmeriCares responds to 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year. AmeriCares also establishes long-term recovery projects in communities affected by disaster and brings disaster preparedness programs to vulnerable communities.
Philippine Health facilities AmeriCares is helping to rebuildand Generators funded by AmeriCares with generous support from the GE FoundationClick here for full page map >>
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