Oxfam is sending out a team of public health aid workers to complement its staff on the ground in the central Philippines area hit by the super-typhoon of Friday, Dec. 1.
Early reports from the disaster zone indicate that more than 800,000 people have been affected, 28,000 homes have been destroyed, and 21,000 people have moved to evacuation centers. Six hundred people are believed to be dead or missing, mainly due to mudslides.
Oxfam will be focusing its initial aid efforts on providing clean drinking water, safe sanitation, and public hygiene to reduce the risk of waterborne disease among those who have been displaced from their homes.