Delivering Hope To The People Of The Philippines
Earlier today, World Vision began distributing food to the Typhoon-hit communities of the Philippines - one of the first agencies to be able to reach people with much needed support.
World Vision New Zealand's CEO was there as families started to receive life-saving food, water and hygiene kits and shares the experience of being the first aid workers a community has seen since Haiyan hit.
Chris Clarke, CEO, World Vision New Zealand
It took about 6 hours to get out to the area where we distributed food. For the first 2-3 hours it was pretty much like a city functioning as normal. Only in the last couple of hours did we see the destruction....power poles down, trees down, and there was a point where we started to see children appearing with signs saying "please give us food, please give us water."
When we turned up the town where we were distributing food in north Cebu, the town itself was almost completely wiped out, probably one in ten houses standing, trees down, a scene of complete destruction. But the most colourful people -- they were quietly assembling with these wonderful colourful umbrellas.
It midst of the chaos it was made extraordinarily easy. As soon as we started loading food out of the back of the trucks everyone was very orderly, very happy, and unbelievably thankful. Lots of smiles. It was a very special moment.
We then went right up the road to communities that haven't been reached yet by the aid workers. Our distribution was the first the community has seen in seven days, so our arrival was eagerly anticipated.
Just up the road nearly a 1/2 km it was a scene of complete and utter devastation. We stopped on the side of the road, and I talked to an older lady who was in sheltering in a house that another rainfall had been wearing down.
I asked her if this was her house and she pointed across the way and said, "No, that's my house."
Across the way from us was a pile of rubble. That was her home.
She was taking shelter in the house across the way which itself would be unlivable in a normal situation. And she was living there with six grand-children.
One of the things that's been touching is people who have been genuinely grateful for the aid they've received. Thanking us.
In many ways World Vision are at the end of an extraordinary cast line, we have witnessed the fantastic work of others. When you support an agency with money it goes all the way to the people here in the Philippines who receive that money in the form of aid; and, along the way, it goes through those who are coordinating distributions like this to provide food and water to survivors, through those who organise sanitation taps, the people responsible for the development of a disaster plan, who are handling the delivery of goods, and the volunteers who pack it.
It's really a cast of many who have come together to help those here in the Philippines. And it’s given World Vision the ability to deliver life-saving supplies to thousands of people today.
We urgently need your donations to help the people of the Philippines. £60 will feed a family for 2 weeks. Donate now.