Last week Sailors’ Society launched an emergency appeal in response to the devastation left by Typhoon Haiyan, in just over 10 days the shipping industry has helped to raise nearly 70% of its £100,000 goal. With more than 20% of the world’s seafarers coming from the Philippines, the world’s shipping industry relies heavily on the stricken country. Alongside … [Read more...]
Under Extreme Criticism, China Decides to Send Hospital Ship to Philippines
By Greg Torode HONG KONG, Nov 20 (Reuters) - China is sending a state-of-the-art hospital ship to the Philippines following criticism that it was slow and stingy in its response to one of the world's biggest typhoons, which killed at least 4,000 people. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing confirmed on Tuesday the deployment of the 14,000-tonne "Peace Ark" as state television … [Read more...]
USNS Bowditch: A Little-Known, But Critical Element of the Philippine Relief Effort
Besides obliterating entire villages, killing thousands, and otherwise creating an incredible mess of the Philippines, Super Typhoon Haiyan and its resulting storm surge wreaked havoc to a large swath of area that cannot be seen by any photo in any newspaper. It literally changed the profile of the sea floor. Had the U.S. Navy not taken this into account, their relief … [Read more...]
Typhoon Haiyan: U.S. Navy’s Relief Effort By the Numbers [INFOGRAPHIC]
According to the American Red Cross, around 10 million people across 40 provinces have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan, with as many as 600,000 people displaced following the storm's epic landfall. The U.S. Navy, with their forward-deployed forces, has been putting their grey-hulled ships and aircraft to good use over the past week. Here's their response, by the … [Read more...]
No Sign Of Help For Philippines From China’s Hospital Ship
By Greg Torode HONG KONG, Nov 15 (Reuters) - While the navies of the United States and its allies rushed to the aid of the typhoon-hit Philippines, a state-of-the-art Chinese hospital ship has stayed at home and in doing so has become a symbol of China's tepid response to the crisis. The decision not to deploy the 14,000-tonne "Peace Ark", one of the newest and biggest … [Read more...]