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September 28, 2009

Relief Groups Respond to Typhoon Ondoy

Worldwide, Christian groups intiiate emergency aid to Metro Manila

Today, relief groups, many of them Christian, are raising funds for emergency relief work in the aftermath of the deadly typhoon in Metro Manila, Philippines.

Here is a heart-breaking You Tube video:

Operation Blessing reports:

Disaster relief specialists Operation Blessing International (OBI) are responding to Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana), which dumped 13.5 inches of rainfall --an entire month's worth-- in just six hours, leaving the city 80 percent flooded. News reports confirm over 100 deaths so far and many people are stranded on rooftops throughout Manila as roadways are submerged. An estimated 300,000 residents are displaced. OBI has an office in Manila and has worked extensively in the Philippines for over a decade. Under the direction of Dr. Kim April C. Pascual, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Operation Blessing International Philippines, the charity has earned the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) of the Year by the Philippines government for 4 out of the last 6 years.

Dr. Kim, whose own home is underwater, is on the ground directing the relief and recovery operations. Currently, OBI teams are moving quickly to:

* Mobilize food and water distributions
* Deploy medical teams to hardest-hit areas
* Partner with local groups to begin flood clean-up and recovery efforts

Already, OBI teams have been able to feed more than 5,000 affected residents and will continue to expand relief efforts to reach more victims.

Dr. Kim said, "This is Hurricane Katrina of the Philippines. Almost a month's worth of rainfall has submerged riverbank cities like Marikina and Pasig, and buried neighboring cities and provinces under ravaging floodwaters, putting the whole region under a state of calamity."

Other relief groups include:

World Vision

Google list of relief agencies

This list will be updated,.