Typhoon Haiyan: Manila declares a state of calamity as a new storm hampers relief efforts
Manila ( AsiaNews
/ Agencies) - Philippine President Benigno Aquino has declared a state of
natural disaster , to accelerate the transfer of aid to the areas most affected
by the passage of Haiyan. The
super- typhoon, dubbed Yolanda in the country, hit the central area of the
archipelago in recent days, starting from the east coast and causing thousands
of victims (3 thousand confirmed, but an initial partial estimate speaks of more
than 10 thousand) . It
now seems certain that the number of deaths will exceed those caused by Thelma
in 1991, thus far the most devastating typhoon in the history of the
Philippines which caused little more than 5 thousand dead.
Meanwhile,
heavy rains due to the passage of a new tropical storm are further complicating
operations of the teams of Civil Protection. Manila
has so far allocated 18.7 billion pesos ( $ 430 million ) for reconstruction,
while the international community has rallied to bring aid to the population.
According
to the Philippine government the devastation caused by Yolanda, which struck
the country on November 8 , is likely to cripple the national economy. The
cataclysm has affected at least 10 million people, many of them children. In
Tacloban alone (a city of 200 thousand people , about 650 km south- east of
Manila) there are reports of at least 10 thousand victims , although is still
no official data. To
date, 22 nations have offered to bring aid and assistance ; Manila has deployed
the army in many areas to prevent incidents of looting and ensure the
distribution of basic necessities .
According
to preliminary estimates 660 thousand people are displaced and the damages
amount to between12 to 15 billion dollars, about 5% of the entire economy of
the Philippines. According
to analysts, it is a "catastrophe " for an emerging economy and that
was just gaining strength on the international scene. The
gross domestic product ( GDP) of the areas hit by the passage of the typhoon
could drop " up to 10% " next year.
They produce wealth and
prosperity for a volume equal to 12.5 % of the national total .
Meanwhile,
a new tropical depression is looming over the Philippines , which has already
affected the city of Davao before making landfall, first on the southern island
of Mindanao. At
least 30 different areas, scattered between Mindanao and Visayas , are covered
by the rains and the warning remains in force, with moderate to heavy rains .
Finally,
the first controversies are emerging over the executive of President Aquino's
handling of the disaster. It is being blamed
for failing to put all possible measures in place to contain the damage of the super-
typhoon. Among
the critical voices that of Benito Li, professor of political science at the University
of Manila , according to whom today's chaos "shows that this executive has
not learned anything " from the tragedies of the past.
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02/11/2020 10:36
