Red Cross hopes to raise $1.5M for Chaba victims

The American Red Cross NMI Chapter hopes to raise $1.5 million to provide assistance to victims of Supertyphoon Chaba and support the operations of the volunteer organization.

Jocelyn Guerrero, Red Cross chair in the CNMI, asked the local business community and residents to extend monetary and in-kind assistance. She said the meals alone that the Red Cross is currently providing the typhoon shelters cost over $15,000 a day.

The group is expected to start administering direct assistance to the typhoon victims on Sunday or as soon as its detailed damage assessment report is complete. The amount of direct assistance, which includes money, comfort kits, and cleanup kits, will depend on the damage assessment.

“Financial assistance is always the best route. But we would appreciate donations of bottled water, canned food, futons, [etc.],” Guerrero said in an interview.

The Red Cross also needs volunteers to help conduct detailed damage assessment in the various villages and distribute relief goods to the victims, she added.

Red Cross job director Michael Sciutl said the organization has only 30 volunteers on Saipan, where over 1,100 houses were affected by Supertyphoon Chaba.

“I can’t stress enough how much we need the help of the community. Please do not clog the system with requests for service over minor incidents so we can expedite the delivery of service to [those worst hit by the typhoon]. They are the ones we want to cater to first,” Sciutl said.

As of yesterday morning, preliminary damage assessment by the Red Cross showed that Supertyphoon Chaba wrecked 2,150 houses in the CNMI.

On Saipan, 222 houses were destroyed, 583 received major damage, and 367 got minor damage.

On Tinian, the typhoon destroyed 28 houses and caused major damage to 122 houses, and minor damage to 54 houses.

At least 73 houses were destroyed on Rota, 178 others had major damage, and 523 had minor damage.

Red Cross volunteers will launch a tin can collection campaign to raise funds for the typhoon victims at the Microl intersection in San Jose and Shell intersection in Dandan between 4pm and 6pm, today and next Friday.

Yesterday, Pacific Trading Corp. donated 100 cases of bottled water for the typhoon victims on Saipan and 50 cases each for Tinian and Rota. The company, which also delivers water to shelters on Saipan, donated an additional 10 cases of Gatorade drink and 10 cases of bottled water for the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. personnel, who have been working day and night to restore power all over the island.

PTC general manager Charles Cepeda said his company will be distributing bottled water to other government employees helping in the cleanup efforts.

The offices of Lt. Gov. Diego Benavente and Sen. Tom Villagomez coordinated the donation.