Oh, my love, don’t forsake me.
Respectfully pausing the NaBloPoMo fun to talk about Typhoon Haiyan or Typhoon Yolanda (in the Philippines) today. The latest article I read mentions that President Aquino has declared a state of national calamity here to help speed up relief efforts. Tacloban, a city in Leyte, bore the brunt of the storm and is, up to now, virtually unreachable. People have started looting, which I don't blame them for, given the general lack of supplies. More about this later. I'd also like to note that while numerous articles have been reporting that "at least 10,000 people are feared to have been killed", this is so far an exaggerated estimate. The Philippine Red Cross counted less than 2,000 last time I checked, while 660,000 have been displaced. Either way, I hope that the number of casualties remains an exaggeration.
- I mentioned about people looting. Most of the articles I've read talk about violence and a fear that this may further escalate to people killing from hunger come the following week. I think we should take this into perspective. These people have no food or water or shelter. There are bodies, potentially of people they know, on the streets. They're cut off from the rest of the world. Survival instincts are kicking in, so of course, they have to resort to 'stealing'. The thing is, this is a communal effort. We're not talking about a small group here, we're talking about hundreds of people working together to get into an abandoned grocery to take things they need to live. This is why I do not appreciate how some government officials have insensitively gone on record saying these people should be punished. Yes, stealing is wrong, but given the circumstances we should be able to understand their reasons. And, no, I am not equating this to that supply truck incident.
- Here's an article about how we can help. "Before you donate either your time or money, please be aware that there are always scammers looking to profit on disasters." Probably best not to donate instant noodles since, as I mentioned, water is scarce. Better to donate food that doesn't need to be cooked. Or clothes. Or medicine. On the fandom front, does anyone know if we've got a community similar to help-haiti? Because I'd be up to writing drabbles, ficlets, and oneshots, and/or maybe creating some simple graphics as well, like icons and banners.
- This article has been making rounds. Look, I get it. We should be sensitive to the victims, their families, the country. I'm all for that. Just, what's wrong with saying "We'll be alright" when that is something you want to believe, and it's an idea you want to hold on to? It's like judging the looters for making the most of their desperate situation. Bottom line is try not to judge and don't impose your ideals on other people. If you're from the Philippines and you'd rather be posting about the good things in your life today, why on earth should I tell you not to? And if you don't like what a friend has been posting about recently, why not stop reading their stuff for the time being?