ReliefWeb

Typhoon Nari (locally called 'Santi') battered Northern Philippines on Friday night, bringing with it strong winds and heavy rains. Nari made landfall in Aurora province leaving several areas without power, damaging roads and homes. Powerful winds blew away roofs in San Vicente town and many roads remain blocked with debris. Bulacan province is flooded since early Saturday. According to Save the Children, most of Aurora province is now without electricity, affecting an estimated 1.3 million people. Road and utility crews are busy clearing blocked roads, but it could take up to two days to restore power.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reports 3 fishermen missing and over 500 families (or 2000 people) living in evacuation centres. The Philippine Coast Guard reported early Saturday that around 2500 sea travelers were stranded as of 10 p.m. Friday.

The Government has prepositioned emergency relief worth PHP 130.4 million for those affected and humanitarian teams are standing by to conduct rapid assessments. The United Nations and it's humanitarian partners stand ready to support the Government's ongoing efforts to help the affected people.

NDRRMC reports also suggest Nari is weakening slightly as it moves towards the West Philippines sea on Saturday, passing along the Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal later this afternoon. Should Nari maintain its current movement, it is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by early Sunday morning.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 tropical cyclones each year that occur mainly between June to December. Authorities are closely monitoring another tropical cyclone, outside of Philippines, which may bring with it additional rain and damage, further exacerbating the situation.

For further information, please contact:

David Carden, Head of Office, OCHA Philippines, carden@un.org, Tel: +63 2 901 0265, Mobile: +63 917 513 9924
Prerna Suri, Public Information Officer, OCHA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, surip@un.org, Tel: +66 2288 2856, Mobile: +66 9 2261 8523