The Sailors’ Society has issued an emergency appeal to bring aid to the seafarers and their families impacted by an earthquake in the Philippines.
The 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the city of Cebu on 30 September and caused a considerable amount of damage. Homes and businesses have been destroyed and power cuts are a frequent issue.
More than 70 people were reportedly killed by the quake, and many remain in temporary shelters and accommodation due to the threat of aftershocks.
Since the main quake, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has recorded over 9,000 aftershocks, some as strong as 5.1 on the Richter scale.
The Sailors’ Society bringing food, clean water and other support to seafarers and their families.
Sara Baade, CEO of the Sailors’ Society, said, “We are receiving urgent requests every day from seafarers trying to reach their families back home. Many cannot get through. Others have received shattering news.”
The charity’s Programme Manager, Gavin Lim, told one story of a seafarer lost both his brother and a nephew in the earthquake. The sailor’s wife and four children have faced great difficulty in finding food while trying to get by in the rubble.
Lim said, “Another seafarer called our 24/7 helpline from his vessel to say his wife and two siblings are at the epicentre of the quake and they are starving, living outside in the rain that is now bombarding the area.”
It is estimated that more than a quarter of the world’s maritime workforce are Filipinos, with many of the nations 229,000 seafarers coming from the region hit by the quake.
Baade continued, “Members of our Crisis Response Network are preparing to travel to the worst-hit areas as soon as it is safe. Roads are impassable and aftershocks continue, but we are committed to reaching those in desperate need.
“In the meantime, we are offering emergency grants. Just £30 can provide a family with food and clean water for a week and we can also provide trauma and bereavement counselling for survivors and seafarers thousands of miles from home.”
