Typhoon Hayian has left thousands dead and may reach as high as 100,000, according to an unofficial estimate from the United Nations. Over nine million people are thought to have been affected by the storm, with the homes of at least 470,000 people destroyed. The current key humanitarian needs are food; water and sanitation; and shelter and non-food items. Health, child protection, education and livelihoods support are also areas that we believe will quickly need to be addressed.

Our Emergency Response Team is currently on its way to the Philippines, to determine how best the IRC can assist the affected people. There is an urgent need for clean water. Electricity has been down throughout the affected areas and this, along with storm damage, means l water systems are no longer operational. To respond to this and prevent the spread of disease, the IRC plan to provide affected populations with access to safe water and sanitation facilities.