Relief teams fear worsening aftermath of Super Typhoon Rai

UN agencies and humanitarian actors in the Philippines are mobilizing to support communities hit by super Typhoon Goni, which has barrelled across the country, leaving massive devastation in its wake.  

Humanitarians are scaling up assistance in the Philippines to assist hundreds of thousands still impacted by Typhoon Rai which struck the islands seven weeks ago, the UN said on Wednesday, launching a $169 million revised appeal to meet the urgent and growing needs.  

As the debris clears, the scale of destruction is laid bare. When Super Typhoon Rai - Odette as it’s known locally - barrelled down on the Philippines on 16 December, its 195km/h winds and torrential rain tore through hundreds of thousands of homes, businesses and vital infrastructure, putting millions of lives in peril.