BUTUAN CITY – Relief operation shifted into high gear for 8,930 families, or 36,059 individuals, affected by tropical depression Vicky in Northeastern Mindanao or the Caraga region.

As of late Sunday afternoon, the action center and regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) based here said the affected families came from the 151 barangays in the 34 municipalities and cities in Caraga region.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports reaching the police said four died in Surigao del Sur due to the flash floods, while two were killed in Agusan del Sur.

DSWD Field Office Caraga Officer-In-Charge Ramel F. Jamen said 1,686 families or 7,308 individuals were still staying at evacuation centers in Caraga region, while 2,281 families or 8,361 individuals, were staying with relatives or friends.

There were 68 evacuation centers still open, while 107 evacuation centers have already closed, he said.

A total of P512,931 in food and non-food assistance was already provided by the local government units (LGUs) to the affected families, the DSWD 13 Officer-In-Charge said.

DSWD 13 Field Office (FO) currently has 13,687 family food packs (FFPs) still available amounting to P 6.6 million waiting for requests from the affected LGUs.

The agency also has on stand-by raw materials amounting to P 1,629,458.12, non-food items amounting to P 15,319,782.02 and standby fund amounting to P3 million.

As of press time, the DSWD 13 FO Quick Response Team (QRT) members were on duty on a 24/7 basis, and were conducting assessment on the affected families in affected areas, particularly the most devastated by TD Vicky in Surigao Del Sur province.

“DSWD 13 FO Caraga is ready to provide augmentation assistance to the families affected by flooding brought by TD Vicky,” Jamen said, in his progress report to DSWD Director for Disaster Response Management Bureau Clifford Cyril Y. Riveral on Sunday.