John J. Metzler

UNITED NATIONS — The super Typhoon Haiyan which swept across the central Philippines left a brutal legacy of death, destruction and dislocation in its wake. The category five storm which slammed into Leyte and Cebu islands directly confronted the global community with yet another gripping disaster in which 13 million people were affected with over 4 million persons displaced and at least four thousand dead.

Both the UN humanitarian relief agencies as well as much of the world community sprung into action; a Typhoon Haiyan funding appeal for $301 million, was quickly supported by forty countries. The United States, Britain and Australia lead the list with Canada and Japan being other major givers. Other countries such as Mainland China and many of the Arab states have been found wanting.

Equally, European Union states have donated both in their national capacity as well as in the European Commission basket. Significantly Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark offered significant aid and assistance too.

Some smaller countries such as Israel sent a staffed 148-bed field hospital operating on Cebu, Belgium and South Korea sent a field hospital and medical personnel while Malaysia dispatched a field hospital and relief flights.

Seeing the tragic pictures from the affected area we are witnessing a true multinational humanitarian effort; C-130 cargo planes from the United States, the Royal Thai Air Force, Japan, Taiwan and Australia are lumbering in and out of Tacloban city in the epicenter of the destruction.

United States Navy assets such as the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, and a slew of support ships are on station along with an array of indispensable helicopter assets. Importantly, the U.S. Navy has deployed six tactical water purification systems and Canada an additional two to help ensure a supply of vital fresh uncontaminated water.

When the winds died down and the storm finally passed, both the Philippine government and the United Nations were confronted with bigger numbers than previously planned. Days after the storm, the UN’s Office for humanitarian coordination OCHA stated that 9.8 million people were affected and 659,000 displaced. Now the Philippine government estimates and OCHA concludes the numbers have reached thirteen million affected, with 4.4 million people displaced including over a million children.

According to UN Humanitarian Coordinator Valerie Amos, “The relief operation has been scaled up substantially…every day aid efforts gather pace with the systems getting through to more people.” Ms. Amos added, “Significant food and medical assistance has been provided, and water services, as well as limited telecommunications services, restored.” Yet so much of the aid is too little too late and still not getting to remote areas.

The UN family of relief agencies such as he High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is delivering tents, blankets and solar lanterns for more than 100,000 people.

Yet amidst all the global humanitarian giving and food aid photo ops, many countries, China among them, has politely stood on the sidelines. Beijing begs to differ offering that long standing territorial disputes with the Philippines over contested islands in the South China Sea is one reason for its reticence. After some observers pointed out that the Swedish home furniture store IKEA has donated more than the People’s Republic of China, only then did the world’s second largest economy give two million dollars more.

As a counterpoint, the Republic of China on Taiwan has pledged nearly $4 million in relief supplies in cash and kind for the storm ravished islands.

Although Typhoons are commonplace in East Asia, Typhoon Haiyan which ravished Leyte was reminiscent of a similar super storm which ravished the same area in 1912.

Nonetheless, low lying areas in Typhoon and flood prone regions should have proper storm surge planning and preparation to avoid such disasters.

The Philippines needs international help now. America’s long standing friendship with the people of the Philippines underscores a bond of solidarity, borne in war, peace, and calamity. It’s now time for the USA to rekindle that friendship.

As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon stated, “I encourage people across the world to show their solidarity with the Philippines at this time and contribute to the response.”

John J. Metzler is a U.N. correspondent covering diplomatic and defense issues. He writes weekly for WorldTribune.com. He is the author of Transatlantic Divide ; USA/Euroland Rift (University Press, 2010).

  OCHA, Philippine Typhoon; Global givers and grinches, Tacloban, Typhoon Haiyan, UNHCR, USS George Washington