The number of families affected by Typhoon “Ursula,” which battered the country at the height of the Christmas season, has climbed to 600,142, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported Thursday.
The NDRRMC 6 a.m. update showed that the death toll remained at 50, injured at 362, and five still missing.
The 600,142 affected families are equivalent to 2,431,821 persons residing in 2,702 barangays in Mimaropa (Region IV-B), Regions V, VI, VII, VIII and Caraga.
Around 19,553 families or 77,989 individuals are now being sheltered in 548 evacuation centers while 13,534 families or 55,918 persons are being aided outside.
Houses damaged by “Ursula” are placed at 428,781—106,722 houses were totally damaged and 322,009 only partially damaged.
Damage to infrastructure and agriculture were placed at P1.194 billion.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development distributed a total of 11,039 family food packs as augmentation aid to towns ravaged by Typhoon Ursula in Eastern Visayas.
Relief operations started on Dec. 25 last year, a day after the typhoon crossed the region on Christmas Eve.
The DSWD has poured out some P4.89 million worth of assistance to towns in the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Biliran.
As of Dec. 30, the DSWD has released and transported 2,000 FFPs in Basey town, 400 in Calbiga, and 1,200 in Daram all in Samar; 500 each for Guiuan and Mercedes, and 2,000 in Salcedo in Eastern Samar; 470 in Batbatngon, and 1,000 each in Tacloban City and Barugo town in Leyte, while in Biliran province, a total of 1,969 relief packs have been distributed to affected families.
This is on top of the aid initially provided by the local government units worth P8.8 million.
In an interview Thursday, Jusha Kempis, DSWD regional disaster response operation division information officer said relief operations are still ongoing.
The DSWD dispatches relief packs only when a town request for augmentation, he added.
“The LGU is always the first responder in any disaster. They also have their own prepositioned relief items. When needed, we extend support by augmenting their supply,” Kempis said.
Each food pack contains six kilos of rice, four cans of corned beef,four cans of meatloaf, six sachets of coffee good for three to five days for a family of five members.
Also distributed are non-food items such as blankets, tarpaulins, and malong (tube skirt).
“If our prepositioned items are not enough, we can ask for assistance or augmentation from our counterpart in Cebu or we can also use our standby fund,” Kempis said.
The DSWD reminded the public that relief items are not for sale.