Relief efforts continue in Philippines following deadly storm

(Vatican Radio) Residents in the southern Philippines buried their dead on Friday, as rescue
workers continued to search remote areas for survivors of Typhoon Bopha. The typhoon, which struck the country on Tuesday, has left more than 400 people dead, and nearly as many are still missing. Country representative for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in the Philippines, Joseph Curry, told Vatican Radio that flash flooding and winds from the typhoon have left entire communities destroyed. It is estimated that the number of people left without homes is in the tens of thousands.

“It’s dire,” said Curry: “extreme damage throughout”

Victims of the storm are without homes, and are in need of food and water, he said. “People are wandering around looking for shelter. They are looking for basic items to sustain themselves.”

The Catholic Church has played an important role in the relief efforts, he said. “The Church is working very hard to assist people, not just with materials and relief items, but also spiritually, to help people organize themselves and to bury their family members, and to give some solace spiritually. And the Church has been quite remarkable [with] bishops and priests and working together like this.”

Listen to Ann Schneible’s full interview with country representative for CRS, Joseph Curry: