The governor of a central Philippine province pleaded on the radio on Tuesday for the government to quickly send food and other aid following Typhoon Rai.
He warned that without outside help, troops and police would have to be sent in to prevent looting amid growing hunger.
Governor Arthur Yap of Bohol province said he could no longer secure rice and other food aid after his contingency fund ran out. He added that many of the 1.2 million people in his island province, which remained without power and mobile phone services five days after the typhoon struck, have become increasingly desperate.
Rai struck last Thursday, killing nearly 400 people and affecting 1.8 million, displacing 630,000 of them, according to the UN Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. But the toll may still increase as emergency crews restore communications and power to more towns and villages.
In an interview on DZBB radio network, Mr Yap thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for visiting his province but said: “If you would not send money for food, you should send soldiers and police, because if not lootings will break out here.”
Mr Duterte visited Bohol at the weekend and witnessed the extensive devastation. Mr Yap said the government’s social welfare department promised to send 35,000 food packs, an inadequate amount for the province’s 375,000 families, but even those have not yet arrived.
Some looting, mostly of small merchandise stores, has occurred, Yap said. He added that the situation remained under control. But he warned that the looting could worsen if people, especially in hard-hit island municipalities, grow more desperate. People cannot withdraw money from banks without hone connections and power, and fuel and water shortages have also sparked long queues, he said.
The national police said widespread looting was not a problem in the typhoon-ravaged regions and they were ready to deal with any lawlessness.
“Our food supply is running low. Maybe, in a few days, we will totally run out,” said Fely Pedrablanca mayor of Tubajon town on Dinagat Island.
“The government pre-positioned food and non-food items but they are not enough because many are in need,” Danilo Atienza, Southern Leyte's disaster chief, told Reuters.
Typhoon Rai caused sustained winds of 195 kilometres per hour, with gusts of up to 270 kph at its most lethal, before blowing out into the South China Sea on Friday.
Nearly a million people were lashed by the typhoon, including more than 400,000 who had to be moved to emergency shelters as it approached. Some have begun to return home but others either lost their houses entirely or need to do major repairs.
Emergency crews were working to restore electricity in 227 cities and towns, officials said on Monday, adding that power had been restored in only 21 areas so far. Phone connections have been restored in at least 106 of more than 130 cities and towns.
Two local airports remained closed on Monday except for emergency flights, but most others have reopened, the civil aviation agency said.
Mr Duterte said government emergency funds have been mostly used for the coronavirus pandemic but promised to raise 2 billion pesos ($40 million) from government agency savings to provide additional funds to typhoon-hit provinces.
The Philippines has not appealed for international help but Japan said it was sending power generators, camping tents, sleeping pads, water containers and tarpaulin roofing sheets to hard-hit regions while China announced it was providing 20,000 food packs and rice.
About 20 tropical storms and typhoons annually batter the Philippines, which also lies along the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire” region, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions frequently occur, making the Southeast Asian nation of more than 100 million people one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
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PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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