Last week, a “super-typhoon” made landfall in the Phillipines, but while the storm was raging thousands of miles away its effects hit close to home for one student.

Typhoon Yolanda, also known as Haiyan. caused massive destruction and loss last week when it hit the coast of the Philippines. While original estimates put the death toll at nearly 10,000 President Benigno Aquino III called that number too high, giving a new estimate of 2,500 lives lost on Tuesday. The storm also ravaged entire towns, destroying businesses and displacing approximately 800,000 residents. The effects of this tragedy, however, reach far past the borders of the country.

The “super-typhoon” hit sophomore Lauren Pineda’s mother’s home town. She says the impact of the storm has directly affected her family.

“My entire mother’s family – mother’s side of the family lives in that area and luckily we were able to account for everyone but for, well, about a week we couldn’t, we lost contact with all of them,” Pineda says.

While deaths and property damage are being accounted for, UNICEF representatives and other country officials are becoming increasingly concerned with the welfare of the storm’s survivors.

“It has gotten crazy. Everyone’s just fighting for food. She [my aunt] didn’t realize how desperate it was. It’s literally survival of the fittest over there whoever can get the most and live throughout all of it,” Pineda says.

If you’d like to help you can text AID to 27722 to donate $10 to the World Food Programme.