An aerial photograph reveals a swollen river flooding fields and houses in a village within Ilagan town, Isabela province, Philippines, on Tuesday, following the impact of Typhoon Toraji the previous day. AFP
The Philippines initiated evacuations in anticipation of Typhoon Usagi on Wednesday, as the UN disaster office requested $32.9 million in aid for the country, which has seen over 150 fatalities due to recent storms. The national weather service forecasted that Usagi, the fifth major storm to hit the archipelago in three weeks, would likely make landfall on Thursday in Cagayan province, located at the northeastern tip of Luzon, the main island. Provincial civil defence chief Rueli Rapsing instructed mayors to evacuate residents in at-risk areas, using force if required. "Under emergency protocols, all mayors must enforce forced evacuations, particularly in vulnerable areas," he stated over the phone to AFP, noting that up to 40,000 individuals in the province reside in hazard-prone zones.
The continuous onslaught of storms has strained both governmental and local household resources, according to the UN. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs highlighted that approximately 210,000 individuals severely affected by recent flooding require support for critical lifesaving and protection efforts over the next three months. UN Philippines Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Gustavo Gonzalez emphasized, "Typhoons are overlapping. As soon as communities attempt to recover from the shock, the next tropical storm is already hitting them again. In this context, the response capacity gets exhausted and budgets depleted." A sixth storm, Tropical Storm Man-yi, currently near Guam, is anticipated to impact the Philippines as early as next weekend.
Gonzalez appealed to resource partners to support the UN effort and address critical funding gaps. "This initiative will help us mobilize the capacities and resources of the humanitarian community to better support government institutions at national, regional, and local levels," he added. Currently, the storm is packing winds of 120 km/h and is expected to bring severe winds, heavy rain, and rough seas. Over 28,000 people displaced by recent weather events continue to reside in evacuation centers managed by local governments, according to the country's civil defence office. Government crews are still working to restore downed power and communication lines and clear debris from roads.
Approximately 20 major storms and typhoons strike the archipelago nation or its surrounding waters annually, resulting in numerous fatalities and maintaining millions in persistent poverty. A recent study indicated that storms in the Asia-Pacific region are increasingly forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly, and lasting longer over land due to climate change.
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