These are the scenes of utter devastation in the Philipines after Typhoon Odette with devastating winds over 150mph ripped through the islands and killed around 400 people and displaced 750,000 after destroying countless homes.
Over the next few days spare a thought for the dozens of Filipino fishermen like Charlie above who now crew almost all of the fleet over 18m in Newlyn. Check out his Youtube channel to see something of his life in Newlyn aboard the gill netter, Amanda of Ladram.
Charly and his pals crew the new Amanda of Ladram.
Most of them are spending Christmas on the boats they work, some with families directly affected by typhoon Rai. Ten years ago there were no foreign crew working on Newlyn boats; now almost all the boats in the fleet rely totally on crew mainly from the Philippines but also Ghana, Sri Lanka, Latvia and Lithuania.
So, if you are visiting Newlyn and Mousehole to see the Christmas Lights give the guys a wave and a smile - they are a long way from home
Their teams at ShelterBox have supported people many times in the Philippines – and we will again. They have an in-country office and emergency shelter aid stored locally. Please donate today to help families rebuild after Typhoon Rai. Your donation will provide shelter and other essential items for families affected by this terrible disaster. Any additional funds raised over what is needed will go towards our wider work, providing shelter to families who need it after disaster.
