Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most destructive storms in history, is gone from the headlines, but Stamford-based AmeriCares continues its relief efforts in the Philippines and will do so for at least another 12 months.
Some 6,000 perished in the storm on or about Nov. 8 last year. The country lost an estimated 2,000 health clinics.
AmeriCares relief workers have been working in the emergency area nonstop since 72 hours after the storm, and the nonprofit recently hired a disaster recovery specialist to oversee its long-term recovery work in the Philippines. The nonprofit is focused on repairing damaged health care centers and training health workers to recognize malnutrition and signs of depression in survivors.
“Our goal is always to immediately confront the crisis with lifesaving medical aid and then, over the long term, make lasting improvements in health care services,” said AmeriCares President and CEO Michael J. Nyenhuis. “In the Philippines, that means replacing roofs blown off health clinics, repairing broken windows and replacing medical equipment lost in the disaster. In all, we are helping to repair 67 community health centers serving 1.3 million survivors.”
To date, AmeriCares has delivered 63 aid shipments containing $19.7 million in medicines and supplies for typhoon survivors. The medicines – enough to fill nearly 1 million prescriptions – helped to restock empty shelves at 44 health care facilities throughout the country and supply mobile medical teams treating survivors.
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