Typhoon Bopha killed 902 people mostly on the southern island of
Mindanao, where floods and landslides caused major damage in nearly
2,000 villages on December 4, the civil defence office said.
A
total of 615 people remain missing, it said, a big reduction from the
previous tally after rescuers found 296 tuna fishermen who had put to
sea before Bopha made landfall. The government agency did not give
further details.
The typhoon, the deadliest natural disaster to hit the Philippines this year, destroyed 149,000 houses, it said.
About
80,000 people remain in government shelters, where they face months in
difficult, crowded conditions as relief officials look for safe areas to
build more permanent shelters.
Fifteen "stress debriefers" are
now at work in the 63 shelters still in operation to help survivors come
to terms with the loss of relatives, homes and possessions.
The
United Nations launched a $65 million global aid appeal for typhoon
victims on Monday, saying more than five million people faced difficult
conditions as they seek to rebuild their lives.
The death toll from Bopha could top the 1,200 people who died last year when Tropical Storm Washi hit Mindanao's north coast.
