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world news Diasabra 3 Juli 2021

Philippine villagers fear twin perils: Volcano and COVID-19

(AP) — Thousands of and is considered a perma- grounds, would not become anyone began showing CO-
people were being evacu- nent danger zone along with coronavirus hotspots. Dis- VID-19 symptoms. An alarming surge in infec-
ated from villages around a number of nearby lakeside placed villagers were asked tions has started to ease in
a rumbling volcano near villages in Batangas province to wear face masks and were “It’s doubly difficult now. Manila and outlying regions.
the Philippine capital Fri- south of Manila. sheltered in tents set safely Before, we just asked people But daily cases remain high
day, but officials said they apart, requiring considerably to rush to the evacuation cen- and lockdowns have been
faced another dilemma An eruption of Taal last year more space than in pre-pan- ters and squeeze themselves reimposed in several prov-
of ensuring emergency displaced hundreds of thou- demic times. in as much as possible,” said inces that have reported case
shelters will not turn into sands of people and briefly disaster-response officer Jun- spikes.
epicenters of COVID-19 closed Manila’s international In Laurel town, Imelda Reyes france De Villa of Agoncillo
infections. airport. However, the vol- feared for her and her family’s town. President Rodrigo Duterte
cano agency’s chief, Renato safety in their home near the and his administration have
The alert was raised to three Solidum, said it was too early volcano and in the crowded “Now, we have to keep a faced criticism over a vac-
on a five-level scale after Taal to know if the volcano’s cur- grade school-turned-evacua- close eye on the numbers. cination campaign saddled
Volcano blasted a dark gray rent unrest will lead to a full- tion center where they took We’re doing everything to with supply problems and
plume into the sky Thursday. blown eruption. shelter Friday. avoid congestion,” De Villa public hesitancy. After re-
The five-minute steam- and told The Associated Press by peated delays, vaccinations
gas-driven explosion was fol- The preemptive evacuations “If we stay home, the volcano telephone. started in March.
lowed by four smaller emis- that began late Thursday in- can explode anytime,” Reyes
sions but the volcano was volved residents in five high- told The Associated Press. A nearby town safely away Duterte blamed the prob-
generally calm on Friday, vol- risk villages in the lakeside “But here, just one sick per- from the restive volcano lems on wealthy Western
canologists said. towns of Laurel and Agon- son can infect all of us. Both could accommodate up to countries cornering vaccines
cillo. are dangerous choices.” 12,000 displaced Agoncillo for their own citizens, leav-
Level three means “magma residents in pre-pandemic ing poorer countries like the
is near or at the surface, and More than 14,000 people may Reyes, who washes laun- times but could only shelter Philippines behind.
activity could lead to haz- have to be moved temporar- dry and has four children, half of that now. A laidback
ardous eruption in weeks,” ily away from the volcano, wept in desperation as she town of more than 40,000 The 1,020-foot (311-me-
according to the Philippine said Mark Timbal, a spokes- said she and her husband, a people, Agoncillo has re- ter) Taal, one of the world’s
Institute of Volcanology and man for the government’s corn farmer, wanted to leave ported more than 170 CO- smallest volcanoes, erupted
Seismology. Level five means disaster-response agency. the evacuation camp for a VID-19 cases but only about in January last year, displac-
a life-threatening eruption is friend’s house in northern a dozen remain ill. At least 11 ing hundreds of thousands
occurring that could endan- Town officials, however, Nueva Ecija province but residents have died, he said. of people and sending clouds
ger communities. faced an extra predicament lamented they did not have of ash to Manila, about 65
of ensuring emergency shel- money for the bus fare. The Philippines is a COV- kilometers (40 miles) to the
The agency asked people to ters, usually school buildings, ID-19 hotspot in Asia, with north, where the main air-
stay away from a small island basketball gymnasiums and Most evacuation camps have more than 1.3 million con- port was temporarily shut
in a scenic lake where Taal sits even Roman Catholic church set up isolation areas in case firmed cases. down.

Ethiopia denies trying to 'suffocate' Tigray region

(AP) — Ethiopia’s govern- forces from the neighbor- field operations with Medi- destroyed, at least 3,800 met- sumes basic services before
ment on Friday rejected ing Amhara region were to cal Teams International, told ric tons of food had been any talks.
accusations that it’s trying blame. Amhara authorities The Associated Press. blocked from reaching parts
to “suffocate” the people have occupied western Ti- of western Tigray, WFP The security situation in Ti-
of Tigray by denying them gray and forced out hundreds Sandberg said area residents emergency coordinator Tom- gray was generally calm after
urgently needed food and of thousands of ethnic Ti- also told him that there was my Thompson told report- the retreat of Ethiopian forc-
other aid, as transport and grayans. no other way to cross, while ers in Geneva. He warned es and those of neighboring
communications links re- Tigray forces conveyed to that “more people will die” Eritrea, who have been ac-
mained severed to the re- Ethiopia’s government him that they wouldn’t ob- if access doesn’t materialize, cused by witnesses of some
gion that faces the world’s blamed Tigray forces for the struct NGO access to the re- but added that an air bridge of the worst atrocities in the
worst famine crisis in a bridge’s destruction. But an gion. might be set up in coming war. Officials with Eritrea, an
decade. aid worker who travelled to days. enemy of Tigray leaders after
the site said area residents de- In a stunning turn earlier a 1998-2000 war along their
Foreign Minister Demeke scribed to him how they saw this week, Ethiopia declared The U.N. agency said trucks border, have not responded
Mekonnen spoke to report- Amhara special forces plac- a unilateral cease-fire on hu- are loaded and ready to re- to requests for comment.
ers a day after a bridge that’s ing objects on the bridge and manitarian grounds while re- plenish its nearly-exhausted
crucial for accessing much of driving away after the blast. treating from Tigray forces. food stocks inside Tigray, Amhara authorities have
the region of 6 million people “They still seemed in shock But the government faces where 5.2 million people warned Tigray forces against
was destroyed and the United at what had happened,” Rog- growing international pres- need emergency food aid. trying to retake the region’s
Nations indicated that special er Sandberg, vice president of sure as it continues to cut off “We’ll be out of food in the western areas. But the Ti-
the region from the rest of northwest by this weekend,” gray forces spokesman told
the world. Aid workers say Thompson said. the AP this week they would
fuel and other supplies are “liberate” the region from
running low. Ethiopia’s foreign minister “enemies,” and thousands of
said the government has a fighters were seen heading
In a strikingly outspoken roadmap for dialogue to re- west.
statement, the World Food solve the Tigray crisis that’s
Program said on Friday that expected to include “rank Ethiopia’s government has
a second key bridge leading and file members of the said the cease-fire will last
into Tigray was destroyed (Tigray People’s Liberation only until the crucial farm-
on Thursday, while no WFP Front) who show readiness ing season in Tigray is over,
flights bringing in U.N. or to choose a peaceful path.” meaning September. But the
other aid workers have been But Tigray forces, recently WFP said farmers have al-
allowed by Ethiopia since designated by Ethiopia as a ready missed the peak plant-
June 22. terrorist group, now control ing month of June because of
most of the region and have seed and fertilizer shortages.
Even before the bridges were demanded that Ethiopia re-