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Christian Aid/ Matt Gonzalez-Noda
Tens of thousands evacuate Manila as Philippines floods devastate capital
Christian Aid/ Matt Gonzalez-Noda
Heavy monsoon rains in Metro Manila have already caused widespread landslides and treacherous flash floods, with thousands of local residents forced to flee their homes, and further torrential downpours predicted for tomorrow.
Christian Aid/ Matt Gonzalez-Noda
So far, an estimated 16 people have been killed, and more than 129,000 have been evacuated.
Christian Aid/ Matt Gonzalez-Noda
Tropical storm ‘Haikui’ has resulted in the worst flooding since the Ketsana disaster of 2009, when 400 people were killed and millions made homeless.
Christian Aid/ Matt Gonzalez-Noda
Christian Aid emergency relief responses include the provision of basic food, shelter and medicines.
‘Every now and then the sky grows very dark and eerie and the streets become very quiet’, reports Emma Wigley, Christian Aid’s press officer in Manila.
‘Despite the cities evacuation centres people remain in their homes because they fear looting during floods. Many of these communities are also worried that they will be unable to return to their homes because the government may not allow them back onto the land if it is deemed uninhabitable. The simple truth is they have nowhere else to go, and no real options or way to survive, unless they risk living in such vulnerable locations.
Christian Aid/ Matt Gonzalez-Noda
‘Many buildings and houses are completely submerged, including the thousands of makeshift homes that balance precariously along the river beds, which house up to two million in informal settlements.
‘Many of the city’s poor who cannot afford to buy a home or pay rent are forced to live in high risk areas, vulnerable to flooding during the monsoon season, and they have no choice but to ‘squat’ in an area where they can afford to support their family,’ she adds.
Christian Aid/ Matt Gonzalez-Noda
Other issues which are exacerbating the problem include deforestation and illegal logging in the mountains, all of which can lead to landslides. The knock on effect of this is that more water flows downstream to Metro Manila, which is essentially a concrete jungle sprawled about and on top of a flood plain
Christian Aid is now providing equipment such as rescue boats and life jackets, and has already trained local communities in vital evacuation and rescue procedures.
