The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Marine Corps responded with humanitarian aid and disaster relief (HADR) after Typhoon Krathon made landfall in the Philippines in late September 2024, slamming four northern regions with nearly 70 centimeters of rain and sustained winds of 190 kilometers per hour.
The typhoon, called Julian in the Philippines, killed five people and affected about 317,000 residents in 950 villages, including 1,900 people displaced from their homes, according to the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Infrastructure damage totaled $16.4 million, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
Damage to the agricultural sector reached nearly $10.2 million, officials said, including losses of rice, corn, livestock, poultry, irrigation equipment and farm facilities across 17,344 hectares, affecting about 33,000 farmers.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) said its initial response included “$500,000 to humanitarian partners on the ground to help provide emergency protection, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene assistance.”
“We will continue to provide logistics support to bolster government of the Philippines-led relief efforts,” USAID said on social media.
III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) personnel departed Okinawa, Japan, on the HADR mission after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to respond to Manila’s request for assistance. U.S. Marines coordinated with the AFP to provide air transport and other help through the U.S. Defense Department’s Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid Program.
The Marines transported personnel and supplies via KC-130J Hercules aircraft. They joined personnel from I MEF’s 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and from Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia who were training in the Philippines. Supplies included food, tarps and shelter kits.
Marine Rotational Force personnel delivered food and other supplies to Basco on the northern island of Batan, Col. Stuart Glenn, force commander, told the Stars and Stripes newspaper. The force was on a six-month mission, its “largest and longest,” when the typhoon struck, Glenn said.
Thirty U.S. Marines loaded nearly 45,000 kilograms of relief supplies at Villamor Air Base in Manila for transportation to Laoag, 350 kilometers north on the Philippines’ main island of Luzon, Glenn said. Philippine and U.S. personnel at Laoag’s civilian airport prepared the supplies to be flown farther north by MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
“We are deeply thankful to the U.S. government for their swift response and unwavering support during this critical time. Their assistance is vital as we work to rebuild and provide for our communities affected by the super typhoon,” Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said.
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) deployed its C-130 aircraft to deliver relief supplies in partnership with the private GMA Kapuso Foundation, the PNA reported.
“The Philippine Air Force remains steadfast in its mission to deliver timely and efficient air transport in support of national humanitarian efforts, demonstrating once again its unwavering commitment to serve the Filipino people,” PAF public affairs chief Col. Maria Consuelo Castillo said, according to the news agency.
The III MEF’s major exercises incorporate disaster relief, the U.S. Marine Corps said. Crisis response training enhances operational readiness and interoperability. The Philippine and U.S. militaries partner regularly on disaster relief training, including during exercises such as the multilateral Balikatan and the bilateral Kamandag.
