Philippines struggles to help half a million flood survivors
Updated
The Philippine capital Manila is in chaos a day after Tropical Storm Ketsana roared through the city, dumping nearly half a metre of rain in 12 hours. The deluge caught the government and weather experts completely offguard, sending around six metres of water surging through suburbs and shanty towns in and around the capital. The waters rose too quickly for drivers to get their cars off the road, and now - as the floods recede, getting the roads unblocked and providing food, water and medicine to around half a million Filippinos is an urgent priority.
Presenter: Corinne Podger
Speaker: Donna Lagdameo, spokeswoman, Oxfam Philippines
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LAGDAMEO: Well right now … Manila situation is kind of gloomy. Areas where floodwaters were present over the past two days some have subsided already but there’s mud everywhere and the dirt is just impossible. But in some areas there’s still water, it’s still waist deep or knee deep high, and some people are still struggling to get out of their roofs or go from their houses to the evacuation centres. And the evacuation centres are cramped, people are there since Saturday or Sunday, and food is very minimal and most of them have lost their houses, their livelihoods, their clothes, and some even lost their family members.
PODGER: We are hearing reports from outlying towns that some villages and towns were entirely washed away, and that there have been landslides as well. Is there any way of getting clear information on the situation outside the capital?
LAGDAMEO: Yes we also heard those reports, but mostly from tv reports and media men. These reports are currently being validated now by not only by the national government, but also by members of the local government units and also the local communities through the NGOs, the local and the international NGO groups.
PODGER: Now President Arroyo had been saying earlier that she wanted rescue operations to be completed by nightfall on Sunday. Is that possible?
LAGDAMEO: Well that’s still a week, but I think at the rate they’re going now if we target … this coming Sunday it might be too late for some people. So I think we have to do it as soon as possible.
PODGER: In terms of getting food and water and medicine to the people who need it, what is being done?
LAGDAMEO: The government is doing its efforts through the Department of Social Welfare and Development and being coordinated by the National Disaster Coordinating Council. But at the same time efforts are being done by other NGOs, most of them are collecting pledges from the community from companies, privately owned companies and from schools. So various groups are doing parallel work mobilizing, just really trying to get something to the people.
PODGER: There are also reports of looting Donna, and is there a sense that perhaps the situation is getting out of control in parts of Manila?
LAGDAMEO: I think the reports of looting was only highlighted in a specific city. It’s not a prevalent thing, it’s just very, very minor. Most of the problems still lie on the availability of food and clothing of the people.
PODGER: Is there any sense of how long it might take to get Manila back up and running?
LAGDAMEO: A long time I suppose, because if you talk about Manila in its entirety, I think there is still 30 per cent of the key places are still submerged as of this point, and some waters are just not flowing out. Drains are clogged and it’s not going down. But in some areas although the water has already subsided, people are just in very low morale right not and I don’t think it will be back next week after a few months.
