Goto main content

Super Typhoon Rai: HI ready to take action

Emergency
Philippines

An exceptionally intense typhoon passed through the centre of the Philippine archipelago on Thursday. Humanity & Inclusion’s teams in the country are preparing to move into the affected areas.

Image satellite du Typhon Rai (Odette) le 16/12/2021. // Satellite image of the Typhoon storm Rai on the 16th of December 2021.

Satellite image of the Typhoon storm Rai on the 16th of December 2021. | © HI / Cyclocane

Several tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes to seek shelter as super typhoon Rai made landfall. Bringing with it winds of up to 200 kmph, the typhoon hit several islands in the middle of the day. Large swathes of inhabited areas are at a direct risk of flooding, landslides and the destruction of infrastructure.

Humanity & Inclusion (HI)’s teams on the ground are preparing to get out to the affected areas as soon as circumstances allow. In this type of situation, the aim is to very rapidly assess the needs of the population, particularly the most vulnerable, in order to determine what type of assistance to provide most urgently.

Preparing for disasters

HI has been a leading natural disaster response actor for several years. In 2020, the organisation was involved in the emergency response to typhoon Rolly-Goni and this year a study of landslides was carried out with a range of partners to better understand and prepare for the phenomenon. HI will also launch a project in 2022 to review the country’s disaster preparedness and alert mechanisms.

The Philippine archipelago is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. Typhoons are a common occurrence and their after-effects - landslides, flooding, and flash floods - are devastating.
Typhoon Haiyan, which hit the Philippines in November 2013, claimed 8,000 lives and impacted nearly 15 million people.  
In the last twenty years, over 31,000 people have been killed and 98 million people affected by natural disasters in the country.

Date published: 18/12/21

COUNTRIES

Where we work

Read more

Myanmar Earthquake: HI's vital support to survivors
© HI / 2025
Emergency Rehabilitation

Myanmar Earthquake: HI's vital support to survivors

While thousands of disaster victims are being sheltered in improvised shelters and camps, Humanity & Inclusion's mobile teams are responding to the most urgent needs and supporting the most vulnerable.

"We need help":  Burmese rescue workers in the midst of the chaos
© HI
Emergency

"We need help": Burmese rescue workers in the midst of the chaos

One of Humanity & Inclusion's partners in Myanmar is an ambulance organisation that has been mobilised since the first hours after the earthquake in Mandalay. A week on from the disaster, they recount their experience.

In Mandalay, "the smell of corpses is everywhere"
© HI / 2025
Emergency

In Mandalay, "the smell of corpses is everywhere"

The toll of the earthquake in Myanmar continues to rise: 4,316 people have lost their lives, 6,588 have been injured. Humanity & Inclusion teams are mobilised to provide assistance to those affected.

FOLLOW US