An estimated 615,000 residents have been displaced. Up to 4.3million people have been affected, according tgovernment sources. The tragedy has become a talking point at Warsaw Climate Change Conference under UN auspices. The plight of Typhoon Haiyan has casually been assigned without evidence to the impacts of global warming. While there is no scientific evidence that the super typhoon was the consequence of global warming, opening statements at the Warsaw summit hinted in no uncertain terms to a verified casual relationship. The executive director of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), Christiana Figueres, state (without evidence) that the typhoon was part of the “sobering reality” of global warming.
7.2 Magnitude in Bohol
Almost a week on from the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the Philippine island of Bohol, thousands of people fear returning to their homes because of the continuing aftershocks. Over 30,000 homes are reported to have been damaged by the quake and more than 100,000 people are staying in temporary evacuation centres. The extent of humanitarian needs is expected to increase as responders reach some of the hardest hit and more remote towns that have been difficult to reach because of damage to roads and bridges. Basilisa Mahumot, 67, who was born and raised in Bohol, cannot believe that she has experienced such a tragedy in her lifetime. As soon as she felt the strong tremors, she took her grandchildren and rushed outside their house.
“In just a snap, everything collapsed and people were panicking. No one knew what to do,” she narrates, teary-eyed. “I am thankful that I was with my grandchildren when it happened, if not, they would now be trapped in the rubble like so many others,” she says.
Basilisa’s village in Loon town is one of the hardest hit areas in the province of Bohol, which is located in Central Visayas, which is known for its pristine beaches and calm water. The earthquake that struck early last Tuesday morning has impacted the island’s tourism industry with normally attracts people to see its centuries-old churches and scenic spots, many of which are now damaged or in ruins.