Saturday, December 7, 2013

Cost of Post-Haiyan Rebuilding

The devastated Philippines, post typhoon Haiyan, is appearing to require extremely high rebuilding costs that could reach upwards of $5.8 billion according senior officials. This is not surprising considering the extent of the damage to homes, businesses, public facilities, and infrastructure due to the fierce winds as well as powerful storm surges of the typhoon. This is further exacerbated by the more than 3,974 deaths. 1,186 missing, and approximately four million displaced. Arsenio Balisacan, the economic planning secretary, stated that "I would not be surprised if it can go as high as 250 billion [pesos]." Luckily for the Philippines, The United Nations Development Program pledged $5 million to help clear the debri that is interfering with the relief efforts. However, according to the program’s administrator, it would require four times the amount given to clear all the rubble required in the affected provinces in order to begin the first phase of work. Despite the financial difficulties involved in the process, the United Nations Humanitarian Chief, Valerie Amos, said that "It looks completely different to when I came in last week." Additionally, the government told reporters that nearly 25,000 personnel, 104 ships, and 163 aircraft had been deployed as well as over 90 medical teams. Despite the relief efforts that are in place, remote villages such as those in the Eastern Samar province were still desperate for relief supplies to the point that they waved signs in the air stating “Help us. We need food.”

Corpses are collected and loaded on trucks by workers to be taken to the mass graves on Saturday in the typhoon-ravaged city of Tacloban in the Philippines.


Typhoon survivors walk in a street in Tacloban, Leyte's devasted capital, on Sunday. Towns in the Phillipines are starting to rebuild after the massive Typhoon Haiyan.

Video footage of Post-Haiyan Phillipines.





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