Cornish charity Shelterbox sends help to the Philippines in wake of Typhoon Goni

Residents salvage belongings after a flood triggered by heavy rains from Typhoon Goni in Batangas Province, the Philippines.
People salvage belongings after a series of storms rips through the Philippines. Credit: PA Images

A Cornish disaster relief charity is sending help to the Philippines in the wake of a devastating super typhoon.

Truro-based ShelterBox is preparing a supply of emergency shelters, solar lights and other essentials after the latest violent storm hit the South East Asian country.

Super Typhoon Goni is the world's most powerful storm in four years. It hit the Philippines on 1 November with 140mph winds, 174mph gusts and torrential rain.

Damage caused by Super Typhoon Goni. Credit: PA Images

It is the fifth in a series of increasingly severe storms and triggered floods, mudslides, and widespread destruction of homes.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated.

The first town hit by Goni is said to have lost 90% of its homes and, with communications impacted, it is thought the true scale of the damage is still emerging.

The typhoon triggered floods and mudslides. Credit: PA Images

The series of worsening storms, which began in mid-October, have brought further uncertainty to a country experiencing the second-worst COVID-19 outbreak in South East Asia. 

The Philippines has reported more than 380,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases, with 7,221 deaths.

Many people are now forced to live in evacuation centres while trying to protect themselves from the virus.

Many people are living in close quarters in evacuation centres. Credit: PA Images

ShelterBox's operations manager in the Philippines, Marilou Pia, says she is very worried about coronavirus, adding "the virus could spiral out of control if people stay in crowded evacuation centres or with host families for too long."

For 20 years, ShelterBox has been providing emergency shelter and other essential items to families who have lost their homes to disasters all over the world.

The charity's Chief Executive Sanj Srikanthan said: "People in the Philippines have scarcely been able to draw breath from the physical, emotional and economic onslaught of Covid-19.

"Now they face the destruction of their homes and livelihoods by a relentless series of storms."

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