The Philippines was hit with Super Typhoon Rai which brought in massive destruction with the death toll rising above 350 with 515 people injured with more than 50 missing.
The province of Cebu where more than 20 Maldivian students are studying pilot training was among the areas hit the hardest by the typhoon with winds equivalent to that of a category 5 hurricane.
The students are left living in the hallway and the driveway of their dormitory due to the damages.
Electricity and water have been cut and the Philippines government has stated it would require a month at least for power to be restored.
As ATMs are down students are unable to withdraw cash and they have to travel 10Km just to get access to cellular service and recharge their electronic devices.
There’s also a growing threat over thieves due to which some students stay awake in the night for extra security amidst all the chaos.
Five days have gone by and as per the students they are yet to receive any kind of assistance from the Maldives government.
Families of the students met with the deputy minister of foreign affairs Uz. Abdulla Humaid to discuss ways to assist the students.
Parents have suggested providing hotel accommodation in a safer area with the families even willing to provide financial assistance themselves.
However; there’s yet to be any proper assistance provided to the students. We urge government authorities to do their part to assist these students as they are battling for their survival.