On November 8th, Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines and left massive devastation in its wake. Haiyan, which some are reporting is the strongest typhoon ever recorded, took the lives of an estimated 3,976 people and left over 18,000 people injured. Furthermore, over 1,500 people are still reported as missing. In total, Haiyan has left 3 million people displaced and affected 13 million people in the Philippines.
Estimates have indicated that it may cost an upwards of $5 billion to rebuild after Haiyan; however, only a total of $81 million has been donated to relief efforts thus far. Currently, 2.5 million people in the Philippines are in need of various forms of assistance. To put it in perspective, that is roughly equal to the combined populations of Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The United Nations is aiming to raise $300 million as people’s need for food and shelter is becoming increasingly desperate. If you are interested donating to the World Food Program, the United Nation’s hunger relief organization, you can simply text the word AID to 27722 to donate $10.
If you are interested in making a donation online, here are 3 of the many organizations you can donate to in order to help relief efforts in the Philippines:
- UNICEF: http://www.unicefusa.org/
- Doctors Without Borders: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
- The American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations