Typhoon Haiyan

One of the worst natural disasters of 2013 was Typhoon Haiyan, which killed thousands of people in the central Philippines. (The Philippines has its own naming system for tropical storms and typhoons. This storm was known locally as Yolanda.)

Photo from Reuters

Every year the Philippines gets around 20 storms, but in the 12 years that we lived there none was as bad as this one.

Although I used to work in the Philippines as a missionary, I did not serve with a relief organization. For anyone who is interested in giving in response to the needs there, let me recommend the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Just visit the website, click on the red Donate button, and select the option for "Disaster Response, International." When you give to UMCOR, 100% of donations go to relief. (An annual special offering in UM churches covers all the administrative expenses for the organization.)

If you haven't followed the latest news after the storm, you may want to check out these sites:

• A recent article from The Economist outlines the challenges for rebuilding in the hardest-hit city of Tacloban. On the bright side, the disaster response has been well-managed. Amazingly, the city has been spared from major outbreaks of disease that often follow natural disasters like this. Also, reports of malnutrition are rare.

• This video from the New York Times features a young girl who lost her mother in the storm. The interview was recorded in her old neighborhood, with scenes of the devastation.