In the disaster-prone Philippines, the number of fatalities from recent floods and landslides has increased to 51, according to officials, who are distributing food packs to the hardest-hit towns.
According to the national disaster service, as rescuers look for 19 people still missing more than a week after intense rain battered central and southern provinces over the Christmas weekend, the death toll could increase further.
As the 110 million-strong nation with a majority of Catholics got ready for a lengthy Christmas holiday, bad weather struck.
When downpours overwhelmed rural settlements, more than 4,500 homes were damaged or destroyed, and over 7,000 hectares (17,300 acres) of crops were lost, more than 270,000 people had to find emergency refuge.
After the floodwaters receded, many of families found themselves cleaning up their homes and businesses rather than celebrating with loved ones.
On the southern island of Mindanao’s province of Misamis Occidental, 19 persons drowned or perished in landslides brought on by heavy rains, which accounts for the majority of the casualties.
Scientists have warned that storms are growing stronger as the world gets warmer, and the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change.
