Manila, Philippines
Typhoon devastation: Nearly 400 people have been killed and almost a million left homeless after the Philippines was struck by its strongest storm so far this year. Super Typhoon Rai intensified rapidly to a Category 5, and its 130 mph winds turned trees, trucks, and electricity poles into projectiles that smashed into buildings and destroyed bridges. Rai flattened entire towns and left major roads across the archipelago blocked by mountains of debris. Survivors who lost everything were huddling in makeshift refugee camps this week, cut off from supplies and running out of food and water. At least two people died of dehydration. “Sanitation is a huge issue at these evacuation centers,” said Jerome Balinton of Save the Children. “With the Philippines still battling Covid-19, we worry for the safety of millions, including the most vulnerable children.”