Typhoon Phanfone leaves a trail of destruction in the village of Matarinao in the town of Salcedo, Eastern Samar, in the central Philippines after it made landfall on Christmas Eve. (Photo courtesy of Oxfam)
The loss of critical facilities, water contamination and displacement have increased the health risks being faced by communities affected by Typhoon Phanfone that hit the central Philippines on Christmas Day, according to relief workers.
A week after the devastation, aid agency Oxfam said that water supply disruptions and contamination and destruction of sanitation facilities were posing major health risks to typhoon victims. "We must continue to remain and prepare for new health threats post-disaster," said Lot Felizco, Oxfam Philippines country director. He said the organization is working closely with the government and other groups to ensure that the immediate needs of survivors are addressed. Felizco also said that long-term recovery support will be just as important as providing immediate relief needs because "impacts to health, livelihoods and shelter are also long term." In Borongan Diocese in the central Philippines, Bishop Crispin Varquez has asked priests to conduct donation campaigns for typhoon victims. He said donations can be forwarded to the diocesan curia for distribution to badly affected parishes. Bishop Varquez also asked his priests to include victims in their prayers and Masses. The government's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said at least 50 people died in the typhoon, while at least 143 others were injured and that another five people were still missing. More than 2.1 million people were affected by the typhoon, it said.