Lorenzana: Earthquakes triggered humanitarian crisis
Credit to Author: DEMPSEY REYES| Date: Sun, 03 Nov 2019 16:36:00 +0000
DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana warned on Sunday that the series of earthquakes that rocked various areas in Mindanao had triggered a humanitarian crisis.
“It is a humanitarian crisis. Many houses were damaged, the house owners already left [their respective homes] because of the aftershocks, fearing debris may fall on them,” he told reporters in a text message.
Lorenzana, who was tasked to lead relief efforts in Mindanao, said quake victims staying in evacuation centers need more relief assistance.
He said there were reports that some quake victims have blocked vehicles carrying relief goods.
“In the highways, there were people with placards blocking vehicles with relief goods and taking them. I have directed the military and police to clear the highway of these people and bring them back to their communities so that they can be served properly,” he said.
The death toll in the two powerful quakes that struck southern Philippines in the past week had risen to 21, authorities said on Sunday, as survivors struggled to access food and water.
The 6.6-magnitude and 6.5-magnitude quakes hit Mindanao two days apart, destroying buildings and displacing tens of thousands of residents.
Some villagers staying under tents near a highway were begging for help from passing motorists, carrying placards asking for food and water.
Rescuers had found more bodies, many crushed by falling debris and landslides caused by the violent shaking, the national disaster council said.
The quakes also left 432 residents injured with two people still missing, it added.
Temporary shelters have been set up to house more than 20,000 displaced individuals — many already there since the first quake struck on October 16, leaving seven people dead.
On Sunday, rescuers continued their evacuation of families, whose houses were endangered by landslides, while several residents trapped in mountainous villages had been airlifted to safety.
The government said aid had reached affected communities and instructed people sleeping near the road to go to evacuation centers for help.
Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ricardo Jalad said soldiers would set up checkpoints on roads leading to disaster areas “to ensure that there is order and that only accredited and legitimate relief groups or individuals are allowed.”
Jalad, however, noted that there was no shortage of food and water.
“The market is functioning, there is enough food supply and those with money can buy,” he said. “The whole of Mindanao has supply of food, so there is no problem.”
But he confirmed that the town of Makilala in Cotabato is in need of water.