“Rubble, trees, and scrap metal everywhere.”

This is a message sent by ICM’s Donor Services Officer Anthony Ramos last night.

“I am sending this message through text as all that our mobile service is horrible here in Iloilo, Panay, one of the severely affected areas.

Pastor Sam, ICM Base Leader in Panay, Erin and myself are north 200km+ of Iloilo with a group of visitors from the US to provide relief to about 400 families or 2,000 people in Estancia. The damage in these areas is astoundingly horrific compared to the damage I saw in Bacolod and Ajuy, the town we were in yesterday. I am looking at damages to 99% of all households that have sustained torn roofs or collapsed walls. Power lines are all over the place, which poses another additional danger to the communities. Power has been set to be back in March 2014. Rubble, trees, scrap metals etc. can be found everywhere. It looks like literal war zone.

Phone signals are dead for the most part. Only one mobile service is back with an extremely busy and unreliable signal. Lots of people on the road are holding signs begging for help; mostly children while their parents go back to work or repair their homes. Yesterday we saw a few disaster relief convoys, some of the first to arrive since the typhoon hit. Though we did not see them in the more remote areas we visited.”

This is only a glimpse of the desperation in the disaster zone. Join us in helping these victims. ICM’s Disaster Fund offers immediate aid and long term development assistance for victims to fight hunger, prevent disease and rebuild lives. For more information, visit icm.kpability.com/our-work/disaster-fund.