MSF's response to Typhoon Haiyan
When Typhoon Haiyan, or Yolanda, as it is known locally, ripped through the central Philippines on 8 November 2013, it caused a disaster of a scale unprecedented in the past century in the country. Whole communities were flattened, while a tsunami-like storm surge claimed thousands of lives. Roofs were blown off and livelihoods were swept away. Following the disaster, many areas were inaccessible; bridges were destroyed, roads were impassable, power and communications were cut off, and fuel was in short supply. Partially damaged schools, stadiums and churches were turned into evacuation centres, where survivors crammed together waiting for help to come.
Some 16 million people have either lost their homes or livelihoods, and more than 6,200 people were killed.
