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US bishops donate 500,000 dollars to typhoon-stricken communities in the Philippines
by Santosh Digal
US Bishops’ Conference sends aid through Catholic Relief Service to bring comfort to about 190,000 displaced people across the Philippines.
Manila (AsiaNews) – The US Catholic Bishops’ Conference has donated US$ 500,000 to communities in the Philippines hit by several typhoons in the last two months. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has welcomed the gift with joy and gratitude. The money will be handled by the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) to provide for immediate relief. In association with the local Caritas the CRS will help first of all residents in Albay, an area that was devastated by typhoon Reming, providing immediate necessities like food, clean water, clothes and medicine.
A United Nations report said than 190,000 people have been made homeless and 100,000 in urgent need of food by four devastating typhoons that struck the country over the past two months.
Final death toll figures are not in yet but the number of dead now stands at 1,400.
The typhoons caused flooding, mudslides and landslides across the Philippine archipelago, destroying more than 330,000 buildings, including numerous schools and hospitals.
Typhoon Seniang slammed into Philippines coast just last weekend, only nine days after the deadly passage of Reming that destroyed Bicol region. Typhoons Milenyo and Paeng hit the country in September and October.
According to the United Nations, losses are estimated to be around 246 million US dollars affecting roads, agriculture and fishing industry.