Typhoon Kalmaegi Wreaks Havoc in the Philippines

In response to the devastation caused by Typhoon Kalmaegi, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr enacted a state of emergency on Thursday. The decision comes as the nation grapples with the deadliest natural disaster this year, resulting in 241 fatalities and widespread displacement across central regions.

The typhoon, which claimed the lives of 114 individuals and left 127 missing primarily due to flash flooding, heavily impacted the province of Cebu. It affected close to 2 million residents before moving out to the South China Sea on Wednesday.

With more than 560,000 individuals displaced, including nearly 450,000 who sought refuge in emergency shelters, the government's swift action aims to speed up the distribution of emergency funds and thwart potential food hoarding and pricing issues.