Canadian Red Cross

Purpose

December 2021 – Super Typhoon Rai, locally known as Odette, made landfall in the southern Philippines on December 16, bringing torrential rains, violent winds and storm surges. Initial reports indicate that multiple regions have been affected by flooding, road closures, power interruptions and disruptions to communications. Although needs assessments are ongoing, it is estimated that 3 million people have been affected by the impacts of the typhoon overall, including more than 630,000 displaced people. Over 117,000 homes have been damaged by the storm and the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture reports that total crop loss is in excess of 19,000 metric tons. With GAC’s support, the Canadian Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are working to save lives and help reduce the suffering of people affected by the typhoon. Project activities include: (1) scaling up emergency health services, such as medical care and mental health and psychosocial support; (2) providing integrated assistance through multi-purpose cash, livelihood and shelter support; and (3) ensuring the protection of vulnerable people, including through gender and inclusion programming.