SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, December 28, 2021 – When Super Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) smashed into the Philippines days before Christmas, it cut a wide swath of havoc in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao that left, as of this writing, 397 people dead, 1,147 injured, 83 missing, and 1.08 million families displaced, according to the Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The typhoon has also destroyed 94,764 metric tons and 67,573 hectares (166,976.52 acres) of agricultural areas, which are mostly rice, corn, high value crops, and livestock, according to the Philippine Department of Agriculture.
Even if the Philippine government has declared a state of calamity, thus freeing up funds for relief efforts, ABS-CBN News reported that the scale of the destruction, lack of mobile phone signal or internet in many areas, and depleted government coffers after the COVID-19 response were hampering efforts to distribute aid.
AFI has activated Help4PH: Operation Odette to help individuals and families in severely damaged areas in the Philippines.
To learn more or to donate now, visit https://abscbnfoundation.org/
