UN appeal for ‘Sendong’ aid falls short

Hundreds of thousands of people in Mindanao are in dire need of help one month after devastating floods, but a global appeal for aid has fallen well short of its target, the UN said on Tuesday.

The official death toll from tropical storm “Sendong” (international name Washi),   which destroyed entire villages built on sandbars and on riverbanks in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities on Dec. 16, is 1,259, but many more are believed to have been buried or washed out to sea.

Meanwhile, another 222,000 survivors are struggling after losing their homes and need help, according to the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the Philippines, Jacqui Badcock.

Flash appeal

She said a “flash appeal” issued immediately after the disaster to help survivors for $28 million had attracted only $7.4 million.

“It (the shortfall) doesn’t stop us from being active but there are many projects we could expand if we got more resources,” Badcock told AFP.

“We could build more latrines, put up more temporary shelters.”

Badcock said 26,000 of the survivors were in overcrowded evacuation centers in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, while another 200,000 were living in makeshift shelters or with relatives.

Many of the evacuation centers are gymnasiums and schoolhouses, but this has caused problems with students having returned to classes after the Christmas holidays, according to Badcock. AFP

Originally  posted: 8:54 pm | Tuesday, January 17th, 2012