Thousands of families may have to welcome the New Year in evacuation centers MANILA: The death toll from a typhoon that pummeled parts of central Philippines over Christmas has climbed to 47, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday. Data released by the NDRRMC also showed that 140 people were injured, while nine remain missing in the wake of typhoon Phanfone which left a trail of destruction in the Visayas and some areas in the Southern Tagalog region. Locally known as Ursula, the typhoon made its first landfall over the municipality of Salcedo in the province of Eastern Samar at 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday. While it exited the Philippines on Saturday, thousands of families may have to welcome the New Year in evacuation centers after they lost their homes from the devastation wrought by the typhoon. In its latest bulletin, the NDRRMC said at least 447,164 families, or 1,758,396 people, were affected by the storm. Of this number, some 26,705 families, or 106,309 people, are still in evacuation centers. At least 101,799 homes were destroyed and 203,006 others were damaged by the storm, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless. The typhoon also damaged 372 schools, 31 health facilities and 90 other public structures. Damage to infrastructure and agriculture is pegged at 1 billion Philippine pesos ($20 million). The effects of the typhoon were mostly felt in 153 cities and municipalities that were plunged into darkness due to power outages. At the time of reporting, electricity is back in 38 of the affected towns. A state of calamity had been declared in areas that bore the brunt of Phanfone. Aside from assistance from the national and local governments, volunteers and staff from the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) are working round-the-clock to help families and communities affected and displaced by Phanfone. “We at the Philippine Red Cross never stop working as our chapters and assessment teams continue to gather reports … so we can immediately know the pressing needs of the affected population and send the assistance that each particular area badly needs,” PRC chair Richard Gordon said. NGOs such as Oxfam Philippines are also extending help to affected families, many of whom have yet to recover from the impact of typhoon Kammuri that hit the country early in December. Kammuri, locally known as Tisoy, left over a dozen dead. “Oxfam is deeply concerned about the situation of communities hit by typhoon Ursula, which made seven landfalls in 24 hours beginning on Christmas eve — usually a time for celebration and thanksgiving in the Philippines,” said Oxfam Philippines Country Director Lot Felizco. “Many of the communities are still struggling to get back on their feet in the wake of typhoon Tisoy, which hit earlier this month.” Felizco said Oxfam is working closely with the People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network (PDRRN) to assess the damage from Phanfone. Esteban Masagca, PDRRN executive director, said early assessments by staff and volunteers indicate that coastal villages urgently need emergency shelter materials, bedding, potable water and food. Power outages, loss of access to infrastructure such as schools and markets, and severe damage to homes along the shore also loom as serious problems post-disaster.