UPDATE: Providing relief for the Philippines
November 17, 2013
WMI founders, Molly and George Greene work on Sunday, November 10, 2013, to put together electrical kits for shipping with the water treatment systems that will provide relief to Haiyan victims in the Philippines.
On Monday, November 11, 2013, WMI deployed three members of our team to the Philippines. Additionally, we airlifted two Living Water™ Treatment Systems as well as 10 erosion chlorinators through our ongoing strategic relationship with FedEx to Manila where they were then mobilized for transport to serve those in the heavily impacted region surrounding Cebu. Our team on the ground has been working through logistics to receive this equipment and assess need in the devastated region. More relief is on the way to the hardest hit areas of the Philippines, where WMI is collaborating with other humanitarian organizations and governmental agencies to help victims of super Typhoon Haiyan.
Just one of the many cages packed for shipment during our initial phase of disaster response.
After a long day, WMI staff and volunteers gather to pray over a shipment of Living Water™ Treatment Systems, Potable Water Chlorinators, and technical kits that was about to be loaded onto a FedEx truck to then be air freighted to the Philippines.
Throughout the week of November 11-15, 2013, WMI team members in Charleston and throughout our country programs have been working together to tailor our response to the needs being expressed in the Philippines. Team members have been consulting and collaborating with other relief agencies in the WASH cluster, designing and building custom power and treatment solutions for water purification needs, staging more equipment and staff members to be mobilized for relief efforts, and working to coordinate logistics on the ground for delivery of aid.
On Friday, November 15, 2013, members of our Charleston team were on hand at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport to join our partners, Samaritan’s Purse (SP), in seeing off their chartered cargo plane (Boeing 747) loaded with 110 tons of emergency supplies for people in desperate need in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. WMI had six systems on the plane as a result of our collaboration with Samaritan's Purse.
"Water is actually the biggest need right now in a disaster like this with the infrastructure totally destroyed, so, on the plane today we'll load up 6 safe water purification systems. Each of those systems can purify 10,000 gallons of water a day. Just think what that can do for those people in need... This is a good example of Christians around the world reaching out and working together to help those in need... We can’t do this without partners." -Jim Walker, Deputy of International Relief for Samaritan's Purse. Friday, November 15, 2013
WMI team members Rogers Hook and Anna Nodtvedt were on hand with Jim Walker of Samaritan's Purse and WMI board member, Dan Grover, to see off a palette of WMI's Living Water™ Treatment Systems as part of the 110 tons of relief SP was airlifting to the Philippines. (Photo: Asharae Kroll)
Relief cargo being loaded on the plane chartered by Samaritan's Purse Friday morning at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. (Photo: Asharae Kroll)
Water Missions International and Samaritan’s Purse have long been on the ground in the Philippines, working with local partners to coordinate and deliver desperately needed aid to victims of Typhoon Haiyan. WMI is also currently working with SP to rehabilitate two older water purification systems (Living Water™ Treatment Systems) that were already on the ground in the Philippines from a previous response of SP to disaster in 2009.
Team members from Water Missions International and Samaritan's Purse on the ground in the Philippines
Saturday, November 16, 2013 We received this quick picture from Pat, our Disaster Response Manager who has been on the ground in the Philippines since Tuesday, November 12. During the time this photo was taken he was with a small team from Samaritan's Purse receiving life support supplies, fuel, and water testing equipment. They will be receiving the shipments of water purification systems from the cargo flight to Cebu and the FedEx shipment to Manila soon. We received word from Pat this morning
Pat, of Water Missions International, oversees receipt of life support supplies, fuel, and water test equipment. He is currently working with a small team from Samaritan's Purse. They are now in Tacloban today (Sunday, November 17) and carry with them support supplies for at least two weeks so that they can receive equipment and get to work quickly, providing relief to the very damaged area.
Sunday, November 17, 2013- The cargo plane chartered by Samaritan's Purse landed early Sunday morning in Cebu City. The equipment was immediately unloaded and put on barges that will carry it to Tacloban. We received word from one of our contacts that Pat, now in Tacloban, no longer has a signal. He is embedded with a small team from Samaritan's Purse. The team is carrying with them supplies for two weeks (rationed on corned beef, hard biscuits, pork and beans and distilled water.) They were told to bring everything they would need for their own life support in addition to the relief equipment they will be working to install and disperse. Another member of our team, Craig, is still in Manila coordinating logistics and meeting with the WASH cluster (see next section below for explanation) to move WMI equipment to devastated areas, and another member of our team is working in the Cebu area. On Sunday, Craig was able to connect with contacts that came through our Charleston office who have expressed a need for safe water in northern Cebu. The contact will likely turn into numerous sites for water projects, which another member of our team, Daniel, will be visiting to assess today. Updates continue to flow in. Be sure to stay tuned for more information.
Monday, November 18, 2013- Water Missions International is deploying an additional three staff members to join our team on the ground spread throughout the Philippines. We are currently operating on the islands of Cebu (around Cebu City), Leyte (in Tacloban), and Luzon (Manila). With additional support staff, we'll also return to the island of Panay to install water treatment systems for communities in need. Thanks to the additional support of churches, individuals, corporate strategic partners, and Water Missions International committing inventory in stock for other programs to current relief efforts, we estimate that by the end of this week, we will have mobilized enough equipment to serve the daily drinking water needs of 315,000. Mobilizing this equipment is just the start. Crews on the ground will be working hand in hand with communities to install these systems throughout the devastated islands over the days and weeks to come. Beyond these efforts, our partnerships with other organizations like Samaritan's Purse will provide the capacity to serve even more people outside of these initial estimates.
Our disaster response manager, Pat, sent this photo from his drive into Tacloban. He is traveling with a crew from Samaritan's Purse. Pat has an extensive background in managing disaster response efforts for WMI and has been on the front lines many times. In his email, he noted the massive damage in Tacloban / Palo area. "This goes on for miles. I have not seen such severe damage over such a wide area."
Communities are relying on old wells, broken municipal water lines and contaminated water sources. This creates a high risk for fatal diseases. You'll see one of our team members tests water in a village. From these tests, we'll be able to deliver a safe water purification solution that will ensure members of this community in the Philippines have safe water to drink to survive today and rebuild tomorrow.
COLLABORATING FOR THE RELIEF OF OTHERS: In addition to our own relief efforts being carried our by our international team and staff members from our various country programs, WMI is collaborating with other humanitarian and governmental agencies on the ground in the Philippines to help resolve issues of logistics to expedite the process of delivering relief to remote communities in need, as well as working with other humanitarian and governmental organizations to coordinate water and sanitation relief through the Global WASH Cluster with UNICEF acting as the lead agency. WMI currently has a presence in the Global WASH cluster as well as the Logistics Cluster and is glad to be of service to greater relief efforts and coordination.
One of our team members took this picture during on of many WASH Cluster (Water and Sanitation Hygiene) meetings at the department of health in Manila. Representatives of various WASH-related organizations are gathering to tackle relief efforts together effectively.
A member of our team took this photo during one of many Logistics Cluster meetings this week in Manila. Representatives of various agencies are working together to coordinate logistics and transport routes to deliver aid effectively.
Meeting rooms are always packed for the logistics meetings. Overwhelmed transport routes, miles of trucks lined up for ferries, fuel shortages, and lack of infrastructure making delivering aid quickly a challenge in the nation of island chains. This collective of representatives from various aid agencies are working together to move aid to those who need it so desperately. Collaboration is vital.
CURRENT CHALLENGES TO PROVIDING IMMEDIATE RELIEF: We share these so that you can pray with us as we endeavor to provide relief for those in urgent need.
- TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS: Ferries that would ordinarily take 6 hours to handle crossings between the main islands of Sorsogon to northern Samar (where Tacloban is located) are experiencing a backlog of up to 3 days as the line of relief trucks waiting for ferries is backed up for miles. Additionally, there is no infrastructure in the devastated areas where we are working so warehouses for storage, fuel and trucks for transport, limited availability of barges and overwhelmed air freight lines for movement between islands, and limited signals for telecommunications make logistics difficult. We covet your prayers for connections with relief agencies, successful collaboration and coordination within the Logistics cluster, and more support for
- SAFETY AND WELLBEING: As movement for equipment and people are currently difficult due to bottlenecks of limited roadways and transport options, we are carefully considering the safety of relief workers and covet your praying with us for them. Our technicians will be carrying their own water and food supplies to the remote areas where they will be working. There is little infrastructure left, no electricity and likely overwhelming need. Please pray with us for them as they work long days to meet urgent need. We also pray for their health and well-being as they are entering devastated areas where risk of disease is mounting and local law-enforcement is overwhelmed.
- STAMINA FOR RELIEF WORKERS: Please pray for our staff all over the world as well as the staff of other agencies to work with strength and perseverance as we work together to provide relief for the millions impacted in the Philippines. We also pray for you- if you're reading this you have some part in the recognition of great need and action being taken to meet it. We pray for your eyes to stay open and your heart moved to serve those in urgent need in the Philippines.
- COMMITMENT TO LONG-TERM REBUILDING: While the need now for immediate relief is of the utmost concern, we do see the need to consider long-term solutions for the rebuilding of these regions of the Philippines that have been completely wiped out by Super Typhoon Haiyan. Livelihoods were lost as well as infrastructure and these will take time to rebuild. Please pray for long-term provision and rebuilding in the Philippines as we focus now on meeting immediate needs through relief aid. Please also join us in prayer for the people of the Philippines as they seek to survive today and rebuild tomorrow.
- HOPE FOR THOSE IMPACTED: As always, we seek to meet the physical needs of those without access to safe water as well as their spiritual needs through the Living Water message. Would you pray with us for those whose lives are devastated by this disaster? Please pray with us that hope is shown through the provision of safe water, and healing through the meeting of basic needs.
WMI staff and volunteers pray over cages that make up the Living Water™ Treatment Systems that were shipped to the Philippines for relief efforts.
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HELP NOW: You can partner with us today to help those affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan. Please note that 100% of funds designated to Typhoon Haiyan relief will be used for current relief efforts and not reserved for future disasters.
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