As I write this, my wife Gerlie and I are completing quarantine, having recently landed in Manila. We will be heading down to her home village in the South Philippines in next couple of days to try to help in some way. Gerlie's home village was directly in the path of Typhoon Odette, and we are fearing the worst.

Vast swathes of the Southern Philippines have just been ravaged by the 600km wide typhoon, which made landfall over the weekend.

The destruction Odette caused across the Dinagat Islands could surpass the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), one of the most powerful tropical cyclones on record and the most destructive to hit the Philippines back in 2013 .

Odette bombarded Dinagat with heavy rain and sustained winds, with an intensity of 195 kilometers per hour. Brief bursts of wind reached up to 240 km/h, tearing down Dinagat’s communication lines, uprooting trees, lifting roofs, and wrecking houses. Landslides, fallen trees, and debris have left most roads impassable.

Coastal communities have been isolated since Thursday afternoon, December 16, after Odette destroyed all telecommunications infrastructure. The people are literally left with nothing and they need your help

It is also reported that hospitals in the region have been damaged to the point that some were rendered inoperable. Shops, banks and municipal buildings were also destroyed; the supply of potable water was disrupted, and people are already getting hungry. Also, the boats of the local fishermen, so valuable to provide daily food to local communities, have been decimated or simply washed away.

There is a dwindling supply of food and water, and not much shelter left across the region. This is why I urgently and humbly ask for everyone’s help. Dinagat needs staple food, potable water, temporary shelters, fuel, hygiene kits, and medical supplies.Please take a moment to imagine yourself in this situation.

This page has been set up in order that we can give DIRECTLY to those that need it. Anything you can offer, no matter how small, will be used by us to help those left with nothing .

I shall be documenting our efforts and will share updates when possible. This is not some faceless charity paying vast sums to a CEO. This is your way of giving directly to those that need your help, right now.

I especially and humbly request that those people back at our home on the Isle of Mull, a close island community who welcomed us both with open arms, can find a way to join and support our efforts to provide direct help to another small island community in desperate need.

With much gratitude,

Andrew and Gerlie Fuller

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