|
Typhoon
Hagupit Devastation in the Philippines. Typhoon Ruby
(International codename: Hagupit) made landfall in Dolores town,
Eastern Samar province, with sustained winds of up to 241km per
hour on December 6, 2014. Eighty percent of the more than 800
homes were destroyed. In the whole Eastern Province, at least
13,000 houses were destroyed and more than 22,300 others were
partially damaged. Greenpeace is bearing witness to the impacts
of the typhoon and calling for polluters to be held legally and
morally accountable for climate change damages.
(© Jimmy Domingo
/ Greenpeace) |
Greenpeace makes
solidarity visit to Dolores, Samar, ground zero of Typhoon Hagupit
By GREENPEACE
December 10, 2014
DOLORES, Eastern Samar
– Greenpeace recently made a visit of solidarity to Dolores in Eastern
Samar where Typhoon Hagupit made landfall in the Philippines before
weaving a destructive path across the country and displacing more than
a million people.
Greenpeace International
Executive Director Kumi Naidoo visited Dolores on Tuesday, December 9.
Together with Philippine climate commissioner Naderev ‘Yeb’ M. Saño
and Greenpeace Southeast Asia Executive Director Von Hernandez he met
with local authorities, visited schools and talked with the public.
They had earlier visited the
town of Laiya in Batangas province on Monday night local time,
sheltering from the storm front in churches and schools with villagers
as the storm front made a direct hit on the coastal community.
In Dolores, Naidoo was told
7,000 people of the population of 40,800, were still in evacuation
centres, while one person was killed. Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo said
80 percent of homes were destroyed and much of the region’s farmland
ruined.
“This is ground zero of the
destruction caused by Typhoon Hagupit. It’s been an extremely humbling
experience to spend time here and witness how the community has risen
to address the devastation that they’ve faced. There’s a lot of pain
and hardship. One life was lost, homes destroyed, infrastructure
ruined and agricultural land damaged.
“I’ve been moved by the
spirit of the mayor. She is strong and determined but she needs help.
All of us need to mobilise to support her when she says she wants to
build a more resilient community and to adapt to climate change. The
people are resilient, their spirits are strong and the smiles are
amazing to see through all this pain, but the truth is they need help.
I call upon people all over the world to find ways in which they can
support communities like this as we face more and more impacts of
climate change.”
Greenpeace is calling on
delegates at the UN climate talks in Lima to also stand with the
people of the Philippines and deliver an ambitious climate solution
and end the fossil fuel age.
Real action can also be
taken by citizens around the world, by the CEOs of major energy
companies and by governments to bring about a future based on 100%
clean and renewable energy sources, to end tropical rainforest
destruction and shift towards ecological agriculture. Every day lost
will add to the burden of devastating climate change.
The links between extreme
weather and pollution caused by the major coal, oil and gas companies
are becoming stronger. Research released in 2013 also showed that 90
big polluters are responsible for two-thirds of pollution in the
industrial age. 90 polluters are responsible for two-thirds of
pollution.
Greenpeace Southeast Asia
Executive Director Von Hernandez said: “The major oil, coal and gas
companies are to blame for the increased likelihood of more intense
and destructive storms, and they should pay for the damage and help
prevent causing further harm. Like Big Tobacco before them, the Big
Polluters are going to have to face the survivors of disasters like
those in Dolores who have had their homes destroyed, family and
friends killed, and their livelihoods wiped out. Their product is the
problem.”
