Canadian searched for fiancé after Haiyan tragedy

LEYTE, Philippines- A man from Canada rushed to Philippines to find his fiancé after the disastrous super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) that hit the country, November 7, 2013.

Houssam Hammoudi knew that the woman he loves named Grace Acojedo was in Ormoc City, province of Leyte when the disaster happened.

Hammoudi said he tried to call his fiancé for many times after the tragedy but he couldn’t contact Acojedo.

Leyte is one of the areas in Visayas region hit hard by the typhoon.

He decided to fly in Leyte and decided to visit first the home of his fiancé.

Unfortunately, he didn’t find Grace in her residence instead; he was welcomed by the scenario of debris and waste left by the typhoon.

The Acojedo’s residence was also ruined by strong winds and storm surge brought by the strongest typhoon in human history.

Reports said that Hammoudi visited several evacuation centers and hospital until he found Grace in a nearby clinic.

Grace suffered injuries in her leg and bruises in her face when she and her family were struggling amid the flood and strong wind.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) decided to ferry the two in Cebu, a neighbour province of Leyte.

The girl was admitted in a hospital hence doctors advised her to undergo a surgery to save her from amputation.

Both of them are still in the hospital and asking for donations for Grace’s treatment.

Meanwhile, foreign aid to Philippines mounts to almost P15 billion, Foreign Aid Transparency Hub (Faith) said.

As of now, aid from 53 countries and international organizations for Haiyan victims has already reached $330-million or P14.4-billion.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) revealed that the official death toll so far is 4, 015 while 1,600 are still considered missing.