After a quick assessment of the needs in the province of Rizal, southeast of Manila, a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical team has started to provide medical aid to victims of the devastating floods that hit the Philippines on Saturday. MSF is working in an evacuation centre in the municipality of Rodriguez (also known as Montalban).  Around 80 patients were seen on Wednesday alone. Rizal was one of the areas hardest hit by the floods, which were caused by tropical storm Ketsana.

People who were living close to the river, many of them poor, had their homes and belongings washed away in the floodwaters. MSF is providing people with items essential for survival, including blankets, cooking pots, mattresses, jerry cans and hygiene kits. 

MSF teams are conducting ongoing assessments in 10 other locations in Rizal and Bulacan provinces to identify needs. Particular attention is being paid to places where assistance to flood victims has so far been limited. A team of 11 MSF international staff are working in the Philippines on this emergency, with more doctors and water and sanitation specialists on standby.

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