On 26 September 2009, Typhoon Ketsana (locally known as "Typhoon Ondoy") hit the northern island of Luzon in the Philippines. It hit the lower part of Luzon, which included the capital Manila. An astonishing amount of rain fell within 6 hours, estimated to be around 410mm of rainfall. The deluge has caused rivers to burst its banks and flood the entire city up to neck deep in some areas. The severe flooding has stranded several million people in the capital Manila, and power and water supplies have been cut off. The devastation is severe, and yet, the international media has not been kind enough to highlight the widespread damage caused by the floods. The Help Philippine Flood Victims need is arriving very slowly, and there needs to be more publicity and aid around this terrible natural disaster.

It's been estimated that 200 people have died from the floods, and the numbers are still continually growing. There are over half a million people now rendered homeless or displaced by the floods in Manila. Most of these people live in shacks and shantytowns, and have very little to no money to spend on rebuilding their lives. The devastation came in quick and swift that it left no time to prepare and take their belongings and themselves to safety.

The Philippine government has now raised an appeal for help to the international community with the rescue and relief operations. As of press time, people are still being rescued from rooftops and a few charity organizations are getting donations of old clothing, distributing food, water and shelter. Yet the damage is huge, and more help is needed.

The Philippines is not one of the wealthiest nations in the world, and more than 50% of its population live below the poverty line. These people are the worst affected by the floods and they need help. If you can donate generously, it would be greatly appreciated. Below are some of the charitable institutions that you can donate to. Thank you so much for your generous donation and it will surely go a long way to putting a smile on someone's face for the rest of their lives.

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