MANILA, Philippines – The Yolanda Relief Operations Updates: USS George Washington Ship with 80 aircraft and 5,000 Sailors has arrived in the Philippines local news reported, while the Humanitarian Country Team has prepared the “Typhoon Haiyan Action Plan”.
Here are some Yolanda relief operations updates:
- USS George Washington ship with 80 aircraft and 5,000 Sailors have reportedly reached the Philippines.
- The Humanitarian Country Team prepared the “Philippines: Typhoon Haiyan Action Plan”. This plan mapped out the needs, plans, objectives, scope of plan and many vital factors needed for the speedy and effective relief operations for the Yolanda victims.
- DSWD has already started to distribute food packages at the Astrodome Center to Tacloban victims.
- An International Assistance Matrix has also been prepared to map out contributions and assistance from other countries and how they should/would be intended.
- Google has created A Database of Yolanda Missing Persons or Person Finder, where people could locate or publish the whereabouts of missing people.
- Relief goods from Germany, Spain and PH Red Cross convoy arrived in Tacloban.
- US marines are, reportedly, instructed to keep away relief goods from politicians.
Many victims of typhoon Yolanda are still imploring the government for help. The snail pace and disorganized relief operations have stunned foreign media.
CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper had covered Tacloban, and here are his observations;
“You would expect perhaps to see maybe a feeding center that has been set-up, about 5 days after the storm. We have not seen that.“
“It is a very desperate situation; among the most desperate I’ve seen in covering disasters over the last couple of years.”
“There is no real evidence of organized recovery or relief.”
To this report, Korina Sanchez, wife of DILG head, Mar Roxas, has, reportedly, commented back that Anderson Cooper did not know what he was talking about. Countless of Filipino Netizens defended Cooper, expressing their disgust at Korina Sanchez’s reaction to the ‘truth’ of what Cooper saw with his own eyes.
Reportedly, the Aquino government had finally admitted that it was unprepared for a disaster of such proportion.
Amidst alleged corruption of politicians, the common “tao” fear that the millions of Yolanda PH aids would go into the wrong pockets. Frustrated people trooped to Twitter to express their disgust and fury.
On a happier note, the common Pinoy citizens trooped to repacking centers to help pack goods for the Yolanda victims, while overseas Filipino workers contributed their hard earned money to bring relief goods to their home country.
Local celebrities, Anne Curtis, KC Concepcion, Derek Ramsay, Marian Rivera and many more, conducted garage sales and held other activities to raise funds for the Yolanda victims.
Angeles University Foundation, a premier university in Pampanga, has sponsored a fund-raising campaign through its “Eat, Pray and Give” event, where people would be served lunch and the proceeds of the activity would be donated to the Yolanda victims.
On Facebook, while ordinary Filipinos tried various methods to contribute, people are asking:
“Where’s the government? Where’s Noynoy?”
For contributions, you can course your donations through the Philippine Red Cross or the US Red Cross.
You could also send help or ask help through GMA7.
