Philippines Storm Kills Hundreds, Destroys Farmland

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REAL, Philippines – Philippine officials sought international help yesterday to rebuild villages ravaged by back-to-back storms that left 566 people dead and 546 others missing in mostly poor northern agricultural regions.


The storm and typhoon that struck late Monday and Thursday, respectively, set off flash floods and landslides, destroying hundreds of houses, farms, roads, and bridges. Damaged infrastructure hampered rescue and relief efforts in remote villages, officials said.


The social welfare secretary, Dinky Soliman, appealed for international help in “rebuilding water systems, toilets, livelihood in agriculture for people whose farmlands were buried in mud.”


Official figures released earlier said 640 people had died in the storms, but the latest tally lowered the figure to 566.


Australia, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand, America, as well as U.N. agencies and the International Red Cross, quickly responded with financial aid, transport, and relief goods.


American Ambassador Francis Ricciardone, who flew by helicopter yesterday to villages in the hard-hit eastern province of Quezon, said roads and bridges needed to be repaired immediately to allow relief goods to flow to isolated areas. “The devastation was worse than I had imagined,” Mr. Ricciardone said. Washington offered to dispatch troops to undertake humanitarian help, including at least one helicopter for transport and a team of American military damage-assessment experts. It also donated $200,000, 500 body bags and plastic shelter materials to the Philippine Red Cross, he said.


Marie North, a spokeswoman for the International Federation of Red Cross, said the group is appealing for $1.7 million to buy emergency relief supplies. Hundreds of villagers tried to leave hard-hit areas, including Real in Quezon. More than 400 people jammed a ferry capable of carrying only 108 passengers. The coast guard allowed the ferry to sail to a nearby town after passengers agreed to get off.


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