Aid for the Philippines Now

Typhoon Haiyan, which hit parts of Southeast Asia this month, will go down in history as one of the most devastating storms of all time.

In the Philippines, the hardest-hit country, the death toll now stands at around 3,000, but authorities fear that there may be hundreds, even thousands more dead to count.

The typhoon’s destruction has touched some 11 million victims and humanitarian aid from the international community has begun to arrive.

Unfortunately, more than a week after the storm, hundreds of thousands of victims are still waiting for water, food, medicine and the most basic of supplies. The archipelago’s geography, lack of infrastructure and poor institutional preparation for a calamity of this scope have made it an almost impossible mission.

As part of the international aid, the U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington arrived this week in the Philippines, with military personnel and 21 helicopters that will help distribute the supplies. The U.S. has said it will send up to 1,000 additional troops.

But as previous disasters —such as the tsunami in Indonesia and the earthquake in Haiti— reconstruction will be slow and the Philippines will need a lot more help for a long time. Each one of us can help.

Several organizations have organized campaigns to raise funds and collect supplies for the Philippine victims.

Some local churches will use Sunday services to ask for donations. Much more than prayers are needed.

There will be time to examine why the typhoon took Philippine authorities off-guard and if global warming is indeed the cause for such devastation brought on by nature.

But the time is now to help.