January 24, 2014 | 2 p.m.
CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Relief supplies continue to be bagged and distributed to survivors in Cebu City, Roxas City, and Iloilo. In addition to distributing meals (1.24 million) Convoy of Hope teams have also distributed: fishing nets, water filters (260), sanitizers, roofing materials, matches, salt, nails, tarps, hygiene kits (3,388), and supplies to repair/rebuild boats and motors.
Repairs have also been completed on a local church in Danbantayan to ensure food storage and feeding programs in the area continue. Distributed food has included: fortified rice and soy protein meals, soup mix, dried fruit, canned tomatoes, paper goods, tuna, Feed My Starving Children meals, Plum Organics product, rice, corned beef, sardines, pasta, pasta sauce, and Reliv Now product.
December 20, 2013 | 8 a.m.
DAANBANTAYAN, PHILIPPINES — Our Disaster response effort in the Philippines distributing food and supplies to Typhoon Haiyan survivors continues. We are seeing great need with many people living in the elements and there are still reports of thousands of children going without food. Since Convoy of Hope began its relief efforts in the Philippines, nearly 1 million meals have been distributed in eight provinces and 50-plus communities. In addition, response teams have delivered 260 water filtration units and enough Tarps and roofing supplies to provide up to 100 families with temporary shelter.
December 3, 2013 | 2 p.m.
DAANBANTAYAN, PHILIPPINES — Convoy of Hope teams continue to distribute immediate relief to families in remote areas of the Philippines. Our teams in the field are reporting back that we are reaching many of the hardest hit areas with food and supplies. In addition to locally purchased food, water filtration units, and other disaster relief supplies, we have distributed 566,182 meals to families reeling from Typhoon Haiyan. Some of the areas recently supplied include: Iloilo, Panay, Concepcion, Danao Danao Island, Talisay Island, Tapas, Jamindan, Daanbantayan, Bantayan Island, Carnaza Island, Mambusao, Altvas, Coron, Roxas City, Leutod Leutod, Bogo City, San Remegio, Sitio Leonor, Tagumpay, Sitio Pali, Barangay 6, Sitio Malbato, and Barangay Bintuan.
November 23, 2013 | 6:27 p.m.
DAANBANTAYAN, PHILIPPINES — Despite damage to their own home, Victor and Grace have been able to help children and families with food and supplies from Convoy of Hope since the day the Typhoon hit. Hear their story firsthand and get a from-the-field update from Convoy of Hope President, Hal Donaldson, in the video above.
November 19, 2013 | 7:35 p.m.
CEBU CITY, PHILIPPINES — Our five-hour trek to reach survivors of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) on the completely devastated island of Malapascu begins in tiny mountain villages with stunning views of the green Cebu coastline. Winding up a two-lane foliage covered mountain road, we’re hauling water filtration units and a response team in two diesel vans. The closer we come to the town of Daanbantayan, the fewer structures and trees remain standing.
Picturesque views give way to mangled palm trees and roadside fires and children beg for food along the road. Our driver, Nelson, points out one destroyed school after the next.
“I’ve lived here my whole life and never seen anything like this,” he says. About 45-minutes out, we come over a mountain pass that reveals a birds-eye view of Typhoon Haiyan’s destruction. The scene is unfathomable. Homes, trees, schools, and livelihoods are wrecked. A strong wind blowing through what’s left of the trees is an eerie reminder of the massive storm that hit the island a little more than a week earlier.
We stop in Daanbantayan at a church that is home to one of Convoy of Hope’s Children’s Feeding locations where several children greet us with resilient smiles. Elizabeth, a worker here, tells Philippines country director Raul Manuel that their water filter is broken. Thankfully, we’re able to provide a few replacements. Thousands of meals have been provided to the community from this location since the Typhoon and many more are planned. Pastor Victor, who oversees the church and programs, talks with Manuel about where to put a large water purification unit with the capacity to serve much of the surrounding area.
From Daanbantayan, we go by boat to the small island of Malapascua, where diving-tourism and fishing are the livelihood for locals whose makeshift homes fill the interior of the island. The team offloads the water filters onto the beach where men are working to repair fishing boats. Convoy of Hope also has an ongoing Children’s Feeding location on this island and has been providing additional meals to families since the typhoon.
“The people here need help immediately,” says Manuel. “Many of their boats are damaged and with little chance of tourism in the near future, most of these families don’t know where their next meals are coming from.”
Our Disaster Services team in the Philippines continues to provide immediate relief across many of the worst hit provinces like Cebu, Leyte, Capiz, and Iloilo. To date, hundreds of thousands of meals, as well as relief supplies and tents, have been provided by Convoy of Hope teams, volunteers, and partners. Plans are in place for our teams to return to Daanbantayan and Malapascua with more meals in the coming days.
November 14, 2013 | 6:30 p.m.
DAANBANTAYAN, PHILIPPINES — Reports of dehydration, water-borne illness, and starvation have increased across the Philippines as Typhoon Haiyan survivors have become desperate for food and water.
Well over 100 Convoy of Hope volunteers, team members, and partners have already mobilized to distribute more than 100,000 meals across several provinces including Cebu, Mindoro, Bulacan, Tarlac, and Iloilo.
While distributing relief on Thursday in Iloilo, residents from Bito-on, a tiny island, came ashore seeking food.
“They told our team their village only has one boat left and they couldn’t go back empty-handed,” says Chris Dudley, a member of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team. “Our team provided 150 kilos of rice, two boxes of noodles, and a box of corned beef.”
Convoy of Hope teams will carry out more relief efforts across the typhoon battered country on Friday. “Our top priority is to help communities and islands that have little to no existing aid,” says Karen Benson, senior director of Disaster Services for Convoy of Hope.
“So far, food and clean water make up most of our distributions because that is what families clearly need.” In addition to food and water, Convoy of Hope has water filtration units, diarrhea kits, dehydration kits, shoes, and hygiene supplies on-hand to distribute as needed.
Our teams are planning to reach hard-hit areas in the Leyte and Samar provinces on Friday and into the weekend. In preparation, a local school for the deaf will help pack meals and aid to be distributed. These next few days are vital as some families have been without adequate access to food or clean water for nearly a week.
November 12, 2013 | 4:45 p.m.
DAANBANTAYAN, PHILIPPINES — Our in-country teams and partners have distributed more than 75,000 meals in two areas affected by Typhoon Haiyan. This initial relief distribution comes from about 600,000 meals that were on-hand in the Philippines prior to the storm.
In addition to meals and relief supplies on-hand, we have four shipping containers en route along with five more containers staged for shipping. In all, about 3 million meals, in addition to relief supplies like water filters, hygiene products, and tents, are earmarked for the Philippines.
Reports of starving families begging for food reiterate the immediate need for food and clean water. Our assessment teams have sent photos of young children wandering through debris and standing in the streets asking for food and water. Needs appear to be growing daily, but thankfully relief efforts are underway.
November 11, 2013 | 5:09 p.m.
DAANBANTAYAN, PHILIPPINES — Convoy of Hope volunteers in the Philippines were assessing damage in Roxas City when they came across Christina, whose home was destroyed. Thankfully, she and her three grandkids, including a 3-month-old baby, are safe. Families like Christina’s will need access to food, clean water, and immediate relief supplies for weeks to come.
Before Typhoon Haiyan made landfall, Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team already had emergency food and supplies prepositioned and ready for distribution to survivors. Items for distribution include food like fruit pouches and canned goods, water purification units, hygiene kits, tents, and shoes. Officials worry the death toll could reach 10,000.
Four containers of food are currently en route to the Philippines. Five more containers are being prepared for shipment at our World Distribution Center in Springfield, Missouri. Along with our in-country teams, we have an assessment team en route to the Philippines now.
This team should reach their destination by Tuesday morning CST. They will assist in-country teams with immediate response work and help plan our long-term response. They are also transporting much-needed water filters for distribution. We feed 20,961 children in 151 locations throughout the Philippines; some of these children and their families are in the impacted area.
November 8, 2013 | 11 a.m.
DAANBANTAYAN, PHILIPPINES — Following one of the most powerful storms in recent history, thousands of families in the Philippines are suffering, have been displaced, and need help. Convoy of Hope has teams and aid on the ground in the Philippines ready to help those suffering from Typhoon Haiyan.
Our Children’s Feeding initiative serves more than 20,000 children in the Philippines, and as a result, four containers of food and supplies were already en route and will be available as needed. Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) is being compared to a very strong Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of up to 195 miles per hour. For reference, Hurricane Katrina reached sustained winds of 175 miles per hour.
The team currently in the Philippines most recently responded with 43,000 meals to the 7.1 earthquake that struck Bohol less than a month ago. In response to Typhoon Haiyan, Convoy of Hope will be distributing food, water filters, shoes, and other supplies to survivors.
November 7, 2013 | 4:30 p.m.
DAANBANTAYAN, PHILIPPINES — Convoy of Hope’s response team is preparing relief supplies and sending assessment teams to travel to the Philippines as Typhoon Haiyan makes landfall. Team members in the Philippines have positioned relief supplies in advance of the storm.
Forecasters predict Haiyan to hit the Philippines as “among the most powerful storms witnessed anywhere in modern times.”
“Food and supplies are on hand at our distribution center in Manila,” says Kary Kingsland, Executive Vice President of Global Initiatives for Convoy of Hope. “We are ready to send them out where needed. The people of the Philippines need our prayers but will also need our help.”
Convoy of Hope’s team in Springfield, Missouri, remains in communication with team members in the Philippines and will move forward with response efforts once the storm passes.
“This storm looks to be historic and we are paying close attention to what occurs over the next two days,” says Kingsland. “We have contacts and partners on three islands which will position Convoy of Hope to quickly provide relief to survivors.”
