Philippines: The United Nations estimates that 2.6 million people have been affected by Typhoon Ray in the Philippines

Madrid, 23 years old (European press)

The United Nations has put the number of people affected by Typhoon Ray in the Philippines at 2.6 million, with at least 375 deaths recorded, and more than 600,000 Filipinos forced to flee.

Similarly, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretariat, Farhan Haq, said the agency’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had warned of “increasing food insecurity”, as well as a “shortage of drinking water” in the areas. Most affected by the hurricane.

“This is due to food shortages and malnutrition, especially among children, the elderly and breastfeeding women,” Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, added at a press conference.

In this sense, the UN made it clear that the Philippine government is “leading” the emergency response while humanitarian teams are preparing “to mobilize resources to assist the most affected people”.

For its part, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned that some 845,000 children have urgent needs – including food, water and medicine supplies.

“UNICEF is conducting field assessments and emergency supplies, including clean water, sanitation and education, are ready for distribution,” Haq added.

Finally, he reported that the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, Gustavo Gonzalez, would be visiting some parts of the Asian country “to see the impact of the typhoon”.

Rai – also known in the Philippines as Odette – is the most destructive hurricane of 2021 in the Asian archipelago, and its devastation is similar to what happened in Hayan in 2013. Indeed, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared a state of disaster on Wednesday, A decision that could help speed up relief efforts.