Pope Francis has expressed his sympathy to Filipinos affected by strong typhoons in the country which led to massive floods.
“I am near in prayer to the dear people of the Philippines who are suffering because of the destruction, and especially because of the flooding caused by a strong typhoon. I express my solidarity to the poorest families and those who are doing all they can to help them,” Francis said in a tweet.
Typhoon Ulysses left the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Friday.
However, the amount of rainfall brought by the typhoon led to massive flooding that left tens of thousands of residents stranded in their homes and evacuation centers.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that the typhoon has killed at least 67 people.
“We prepared for it, but we did not expect the gravity of the amount of water that descended on the lowlands,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
“Maraming factors diyan, we anticipated… We will strive to do better pero sa tingin ko po wala namang pagkukulang,” he added.
I am near in prayer to the dear people of the #Philippines who are suffering because of the destruction, and especially because of the flooding caused by a strong #typhoon. I express my solidarity to the poorest families and those who are doing all they can to help them.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 15, 2020
Image source: Günther Simmermacher from Pixabay