Devastation Feared Across Central Philippines in Typhoon’s Wake Blog #8

About a month ago, I wrote about the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the Philippines and the impact of the recovery efforts to a country with poor infrastructure. To add more problems, Super Typhoon  Haiyan ripped through and destroyed the country, displaced families and projected thousands dead. As this is a global problem and a natural disaster but when you have them within a small window, you have wonder if there will ever be a full recovery. One alarming fact is that the government buildings mentioned were safe enough for someone to stay in for shelter but the poor neighborhoods were ripped to pieces and that the citizens had already started looting. Under the circumstances, what do expect but the same person speaking about it,
Lynette Lim, a spokeswoman for Save the Children had been rescued and is in Manila. Even though she is just a spokesman, her status played a big part in how she found refuge but as of today, 500,000 Philipinos were moved to Vietnam. This is a situation that the United States experienced when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and some of the same situations were brought up instead of focusing to the conditions of the levees because what would anyone do if they were put in that situation. The sad part about this article is that the government officials are speaking negative but never says anything about what type of recovery or plan to action to get through this tragic ordeal. Defense Secretary, Voltaire Gazmin, described a chaotic scene there and was quoted  “There is no power, no water, nothing,” Mr. Gazmin said. “People are desperate. They’re looting.” I think a little more should be said and done and going through my other blogs about the funds that were being taken in the government corruption, that $141 million along with assistance from other countries would come in handy. As I write this blog, please keep the people of the Philippines in your prayers because this an global issue but it is a natural disaster that the finest of technologies could not predict the outcome.

Sean Odom
11-10-13
3:00 p.m.





http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/world/asia/philippines-typhoon.html?ref=world&_r=0