Manila, Philippines – The restoration of communication lines in some parts of Leyte and Samar provinces has given the national government a clearer picture of super typhoon Yolanda’s onslaught.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Monday placed super typhoon Yolanda’s partial and official number of casualties at 1,774.
Of these, 1,660 bodies were from Region 8 while the others were recovered from Regions 4A, 4B, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 13.
Authorities expect the number of fatalities to increase especially with the ongoing search and rescue efforts.
Region 8 includes Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, Baybay City, Maasin City, Calbayog City, Catbalogan City, Borongan City, and Tacloban City, areas hardest hit by Yolanda last Friday.
The number of people affected by super typhoon has passed the nine million-mark, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said on Monday as it continued to collate data on the extent of the calamity the typhoon left in its wake.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported on Monday that 9.53 million affected persons comprised 2 million families as reported by local government units in the various regions affected by the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year.
The DSWD said it has sent P10.6 million in relief goods to the Bicol region, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and North Eastern Mindanao or Caraga.
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman said the lack of communication and transportation has slowed them to move the goods to the affected communities.
Secretary Soliman said: “The relief operations are hampered by lack of communication and inaccessibility of the worst-hit towns, cities and barangays, but we from DSWD and other government agencies are doing our best to reach the affected population.”
