Via ReliefWeb, an OCHA report: Philippines: Typhoon Bopha, Situation Report No. 2 - 5 December 2012. Click through for a detailed PDF. The highlights:
• Typhoon Bopha (locally known as Pablo) is presently crossing Palawan in western Philippines.
• Some 169,900 people are in 377 evacuation centres in Mindanao and Visayas.
• Surigao del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental provinces in eastern Mindanao are the most affected so far. The impact in Palawan is not yet known.
• Joint rapid needs assessments are being conducted by Government and the humanitarian community in the most affected areas.
•The most pressing humanitarian needs are food, water and shelter, according to the authorities; response efforts are underway but debris and damaged infrastructure is hampering access in some areas.I'll try to continue coverage of the storm's aftermath, because that could help to reduce or aggravate the harm done. For example, suppressing waterborne diseases is an obvious early response, but that may pose engineering or political problems.
