Southeast Asia's having a bad week

Typhoon Ketsana barrelled through Luzon in the Philippines, then hit Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. I've had word from a Vietnam contact that the small town of Kon Tum, which I visited last November, has been cut off by landslides and river flooding. Excerpt from his email:

Crops have been wiped-out,the rice-crop was about to be harvested.
Animals washed away and drowned.
Water supplies contaminated.
Villages abandoned;VS2 Orphanage also.Many people have now moved to the Seminary,Wooden Church and Convent etc.
Food scarce,much has been damaged by flooding in shops and stores.
Many families buy their food fresh (i.e. daily); they don't carry food stocks as such.Many cannot afford to buy rice in wholesale amounts!

It's now reported that Typhoon Parma is headed for the Philippines (via Mugilan on Facebook).

Sumatra in Indonesia got hit by two earthquakes in less than 24 hours. The town of Padang, which I wrote about almost four years ago, is in very, very bad shape.

Singapore-based relief organisation Mercy Relief is sending aid to the Philippines in the form of:

• 10,000 packs of rice sticks
• 3,000 packs of porridge to the very young, sick and elderly
• medicines (painkillers)
• blankets
• water purification tablets

Oxfam is sending a relief team to Kon Tum, Vietnam.

I've donated. Please help!

• Mercy Relief is accepting donations via telephone/cheque/ATM or internet bank transfer.
  
• Oxfam is running an East Asia Disasters Appeal (phone/credit card/cheque/in person).