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A girl walks past the debris and mud following the floods brought by Typhoon Gaemi, in Marikina City, Metro Manila, Philippines, Jul 25, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Lisa Marie David)
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Red Cross has pledged US$50,000 (S$67,000) to its Philippine counterpart to support relief operations in the wake of Typhoon Gaemi.
The typhoon flooded large swathes of the capital Manila and surrounding cities, forcing authorities to shut schools, offices and cancel flights on Jul 24.
More than 20 people have died in floods and landslides.
While the typhoon, known locally as Carina, did not make landfall in the Philippines, it intensified the seasonal monsoon. A state of calamity was declared in a region that is home to 13 million people.
“The intensified rainfall, floods and landslides caused by the tropical cyclone have a devastating impact on families and communities,” Mr Benjamin William, Secretary General and CEO of the Singapore Red Cross, said on Friday (Jul 26).
“We are closely monitoring the situation and are in close communication with the Philippine Red Cross to ensure that our contribution provides the best support to the affected communities.”
The Singapore Red Cross noted that more than 866,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes. Many are without water, electricity and basic services.
The Philippine Red Cross deployed its Emergency Response Unit to conduct search and rescue missions in flooded areas. It has also established welfare desks in evacuation centres.
“As the situation continues to evolve, the Philippine Red Cross and its local chapters have been placed on alert status for relief operations across the country,” said the Singapore Red Cross.
After pounding the Philippines and Taiwan, Typhoon Gaemi lashed towns in China’s coastal Fujian province on Friday.
While Gaemi has been downgraded as a tropical storm due to the slower wind speeds, it has affected almost 630,000 people in Fujian so far, with almost half of them having to be relocated, the official Xinhua news agency reported.