A deadly typhoon: over 140 deaths, hundreds of thousands of people affected
On 3 November, Typhoon Kalmaegi approached the Visayas, a group of islands in the centre of the Philippine archipelago, with wind gusts reaching up to 170km/h according to the Philippine weather service. Shortly after midnight, it hit the country with extreme violence. Torrential rain, flooding, mudslides... The province of Cebu was one of the hardest hit. In just a few hours, entire towns were submerged, with residents taking refuge wherever they could while cars and houses were swept away, witnessing the destruction or disappearance of all their possessions.
"People with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of these phenomena. It is estimated that they are two to four times more likely to die in the event of a natural disaster. Unfortunately, this has been confirmed in our case... A woman with a disability lost her life when she was trapped in her bedroom as water flooded her home – her family were unable to save her," explains Melanie Ruiz, Country Manager for HI Philippines.
Despite the evacuation measures and precautions taken by the Philippine government, almost 700,000 families, comprising more than 2.4 million individuals, have been affected by the typhoon. Meanwhile, over 170,000 families—equivalent to more than 600,000 individuals—have lost their homes and been displaced. The human and material toll is dramatic: as of 6 November, the authorities reported nearly 200 people dead and more than 130 missing – the survivors who have lost everything will take months or years to regain decent living conditions.
Kalmaegi is the 20th typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2025 – it is the deadliest of the year according to EM-DAT, a global database on natural disasters.
Disasters have been occurring one after another, leaving the population no respite for months.
As Typhoon Kalmaegi continued its destructive path towards Vietnam at the end of the week, the Philippines is already preparing to face yet another major typhoon: Fung-Wong.
This new extreme weather phenomenon, which is still only a tropical storm, is located approximately 1,500 km east of the country and is gaining strength as it approaches the main island of Luzon. The storm is expected to reach typhoon status before making landfall north of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on Sunday at midday (French time).
"Our country is very exposed to typhoon risks and this year, the monsoon has not spared us... First Wipha and storms Co-may and Francisco in July, Kajiki in August, three more typhoons in September, to name but a few... The population has suffered enormously and is still suffering. Many regions are in a very critical humanitarian situation today, and it will take years to rebuild everything," adds Melanie Ruiz.
The Philippine government declared a state of natural disaster on Thursday 6 November. For its part, HI is ready to intervene to provide support to people in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
HI mobilised to respond to the most urgent needs of the population
HI has been working in the Philippines for 40 years and has close relationships with local and international NGOs operating in the country, as well as with government agencies and institutions mobilised in the event of a humanitarian emergency. Throughout the monsoon season, since July 2025, HI Philippines teams have been working with their local and international partners to respond to the immense and multi-sectoral humanitarian needs caused by multiple disasters.
In Eastern Samar, which has been placed under a state of calamity, HI has activated an emergency response under the Start Ready project, aiming to support 7,350 individuals. With support from Start Ready and the Start Network, the response focuses on four key sectors: Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance, Protection, Education in Emergencies for children, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
In Cebu, also under a state of calamity, HI plans to distribute sleeping kits and water kits to 250 affected families.
“As always in disasters of this kind, the priority is rapid access to drinking water, hygiene products and clear health information that everyone can understand. This is essential to prevent epidemics after floods. We will work to ensure that this is the case this time too," said Melanie Ruiz, HI Country Manager for the Philippines.
