Samaritan's Purse is in the Philippines and Vietnam distributing vital aid to hurting families in the wake of recent storms.
After back-to-back typhoons devastated regions of the Philippines and Vietnam, Samaritan’s Purse is on the ground at multiple locations in the two Southeast Asian nations distributing vital supplies to hurting families in Jesus’ Name.
Typhoon Kalmaegi ripped apart homes and flattened trees as it tore through the central Philippines Nov. 4 as one of the season’s strongest storms, killing nearly 200 people and displacing thousands of others. Two days later, the typhoon slammed into Vietnam’s central coast with heavy rain and damaging winds. Another storm formed in the Pacific not long after and churned across the Philippine island of Luzon, also leveling villages and claiming multiple lives.
The damage is widespread and catastrophic across the Philippines, which experienced the brunt force of the typhoon Nov. 4. Vietnam also saw damage from the storm two days later.
Through local church partners, Samaritan’s Purse set up a distribution point in Cebu City, Philippines, soon after Kalmaegi. We provided food, jerry cans, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and hygiene kits with essential items like soap and toothpaste. Each family also received a portable stove with fuel, a cooking set, plates, and utensils to replace items lost in the storm.
Distributions are ongoing as needs are still being assessed in the hardest-hit areas.
In addition to relief items, Samaritan’s Purse specialists set up a water filtration system that has already produced 1,200 gallons of clean water for residents, with many more families drawing from the water taps as word spreads.
Community members in the Philippines fill jugs with clean, drinkable water out of the Samaritan’s Purse water taps.
“I am thankful to God that Samaritan’s Purse has deployed a water filtration system in our place,” said Pastor Esmeraldo, who leads Bulacao Grace Community Church in Cebu City, Philippines. “Thank God that this has been deployed and is now operational.”
Warren West, the regional director for Asia with Samaritan’s Purse, emphasizes the church’s role in our response to the Philippines.
“These churches are hurting for their neighbors, and now they can be equipped with clean water and essential items to ease their suffering,” West said. “Most importantly, they are building long-running relationships to point people to the Gospel and to the hope that only Jesus brings during these times of shock and hurt.
“My prayer is that through the faithful witness of the churches during this time, many hearts will be drawn to Jesus.”
Families assemble in Cebu City, Philippines, for supplies from Samaritan’s Purse. We have provided over 1,000 families with hygiene kits, food packs, and other supplies.
In Vietnam, families gathered in a town square to collect bins packed full of supplies from Samaritan’s Purse. Though the storm weakened by the time it hit the Vietnam coast, torrential downpours and damaging winds still uprooted lives and added to damage already sustained by storms that hit the region earlier this year.
“Every time I hear that a storm is approaching my hometown, I feel deep sorrow and compassion for my community,” said Chuong, a local resident. He felt compelled to help his community in any way possible, so he volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse to help hand out aid to his neighbors—even as he was reeling from the storm himself. “Thank you, Samaritan’s Purse—these supplies are not only material support, but also expressions of love that I can share with the people in my hometown.”
Chuong joined Samaritan’s Purse as a volunteer to help his own community in Vietnam recover from the devastation inflicted by recent storms.
Serving Vietnamese Families in Jesus’ Name
All the food stored in Yen’s house and the crops in her garden were wiped away by floodwaters when Kalmaegi made landfall in Vietnam. Her stock of food, and more, was restored when Samaritan’s Purse arrived in her town.
“At the moment, our family is relying entirely on this distributed food,” Yen said of the food and supplies she received from Samaritan’s Purse. “My family is finally able to have a warm, freshly cooked meal together tonight.”
The typhoon wiped out Yen’s food supply. With no way to provide for herself, Samaritan’s Purse food and supplies were the lifeline she desperately needed.
Another resident, Lanh, was at her husband’s bedside in the hospital when the typhoon struck, taking care of him as he battles prostate cancer. She returned home in disbelief.
“I couldn’t hold back my tears when I saw that my house had collapsed,” she said. “Earth and stones had filled the entire house, and not even our clothes could be saved.”
Unable to work, even as medical bills accumulated for her husband’s treatment, Lanh had no means to recover—until Samaritan’s Purse showed up. “Thank you, Samaritan’s Purse—your kindness has encouraged me and made me feel truly cared for and supported,” she said.
Residents in central Vietnam crowded a local town center to receive supplies provided by Samaritan’s Purse. Each red bin holds food, hygiene products, and more relief supplies to help families get back on their feet.
Saved Through the Floodwaters in the Philippines
Nealboy, a security guard in the Philippines, was guiding his family through the chest-high floodwaters on foot when the rushing water from Typhoon Kalmaegi swept his 3-year-old daughter out of his arms. He scrambled to find her in the murky waters, and managed to grab her ankle.
“I feared my daughter could have died,” he said, arriving safely on higher ground shortly after rescuing his daughter.
Nealboy’s traumatic yet miraculous experience in the typhoon’s floodwaters shows the strength Kalmaegi packed when it hit the Philippines. Beyond physical aid, Samaritan’s Purse, alongside the local church, is spreading God’s love to Filipinos and Vietnamese alike in this time of uncertainty.
Nealboy left our distribution site with food—including a large bag of rice, canned goods, noodles, bread, and more—as well as other essential supplies, to care for his young daughter and family.
“This is the first relief that we received that is complete, and we can use it right away,” he said about Samaritan’s Purse. “Thank you!”
As Samaritan’s Purse continues to set up distribution points in the Philippines and Vietnam to help families recover after these devastating storms, pray that people would feel God’s love through our staff and partners on-site.
