HelpAge International aiding older typhoon victims

HelpAge International is appealing for funds to help older people affected by a typhoon that that caused massive devastation in the Philippines.

More than 4,000 are dead and an estimated 9.5 million people – perhaps 11 million – have felt the impact of Typhoon Haiyan, which ripped through the nation on November 10.

“There is debris and garbage everywhere. Older people and young children are left on their own, wandering the streets. They look frail and sick," an emergency worker reported to HelpAge,

It’s estimated that at least 1.3 million of those affected are more than 50 years old.

According to the organization, during such emergencies older people are particularly vulnerable -- they are less able to flee, and cannot carry their possessions or stand in line for hours waiting for aid parcels.

It is working with the Coalition of Services of the Elderly (COSE), its affiliate in the Philippines, to ensure that older people are included in the relief effort. They are asked what they need and aid packages designed especially for them are delivered.

“The damage caused by the winds and tidal surge of Typhoon Haiyan is truly devastating,” said HelpAge CEO Toby Porter in an online post. “Comparisons to the damage caused by the 2004 Tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, are not overdone.

“It's a very natural thing to imagine yourself in a flood or a hurricane, and think that somehow you would always be able to keep yourself and your family safe, but events like this remind us that there are some events where this is simply not the case.”

To make a donation in support of HelpAge International’s efforts to aid older people affected by Typhoon Haiyan go to www.helpage.org.

Canada matching donations

Canadians who want to support Philippines relief efforts more generally can donate to campaigns organized by registered charities such as the Canadian Red Cross.

The Government of Canada will match the donations of individual Canadians until December 23. Those funds will go into a relief fund that is separate from the Canadian Red Cross and will be administered by the Government of Canada. Funds raised through this program will support on-going humanitarian assistance in communities affected by the typhoon.

Financial donations to the Red Cross can be made online at www.redcross.ca, at their local office or by calling 1-800-418-1111. Donations should be earmarked “Typhoon Haiyan.”