Philippines: Typhoon Rai toll exceeds 400 dead, water and relief needs considerable

In the aftermath of its passage, Typhoon Rai seemed to have claimed only one casualty and a great deal of material damage.

As the means of communication were restored, the tragic counter began to turn: the death toll crossed the 400 dead mark, announced on Friday the disaster management agency, two weeks after the passage of storm.

Ricardo Jalad, head of the national agency for natural disasters, told a press conference that 405 people had died, mainly from drowning, falling trees or landslides.

He added that 82 people were missing and 1,147 others were injured.

On December 16 and 17, the biggest typhoon of the year hit the central Philippine archipelago.

Locally referred to as "Odette," Rai was rated Category 5, the highest, when it hit the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, and Surigao del Norte, including the holiday island of Siargao, and the Dinagat Islands.

Infrastructures, agriculture, houses, the destruction is colossal

More than 530,000 houses were damaged, completely destroyed for a third, while the damage to infrastructure and agriculture is estimated at 23.4 billion pesos (404.6 million euros), said Ricardo Jalad.

The typhoon affected nearly 4.5 million people.

"It caused massive destruction, as if a bomb had fallen on northern Bohol," Anthony Damalerio, head of the province's disaster management agency, told Reuters.

A popular dive spot, Bohol has reported 109 dead and is seeking shelter kits, food and water.

Thousands of people are still without drinking water and electricity, and relief is insufficient.

"Our problem is shelter, for those who have lost their homes, especially now that it is the rainy season in the province," Surigao del Norte governor Francisco Matugas told ANC news channel. .

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The Philippines hit by Typhoon Rai

On Thursday, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced to pay one million euros in emergency aid to support actions undertaken on the spot by two French NGOs, ACTED and the Red Cross. "This aid will allow the distribution of several thousand family and hygiene kits, as well as materials for the emergency rehabilitation of destroyed or damaged homes in the provinces of Surigao Del Norte, Palawan and Bohol," said the Quai d 'Orsay. This aid is in addition to the million sent to the World Food Program (WFP) and to Unicef.

Unicef ​​Philippines said on Friday that 846,000 children need help.

"We are working hard to raise $ 11 million (9.7 million euros) to reach the 200,000 most affected children, but have only obtained $ 3.8 million so far" (3.36 million euros), the charity wrote in a statement.