NEW YORK—As Typhoon Santi crossed the Philippines bringing heavy rains and strong winds, causing power outages and communication breakdown and raising the threat of renewed floods, United Nations aid agencies increased assistance to the country that was battered by successive storms.

The Philippines is still struggling to recover from the damage caused by back-to-back typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng that killed 929 and displaced hundreds of thousands, and yet the recent typhoon on Saturday forced the evacuation of more than 115,000 people, the World Food Program (WFP) said.

Widespread damage has also been reported to rice paddies and other farmland, and also to homes and basic infrastructure. Crop damage in recent typhoons was estimated at over $160 million. Typhoon Santi is the fourth major tropical storm or typhoon to strike the Southeast Asian region in less than five weeks, and the Philippines has been the worst-affected country.

Last month the UN and its aid partners issued a flash appeal for $74 million to help typhoon victims, but the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that, so far, only $25 million has been provided.

Stephen Anderson, WFP country director, said Typhoon Santi “has hit vulnerable people already struggling to cope after the previous storms and flooding. It has made our food assistance even more important to them.”

WFP reported it was revising its estimates of aid needed in the wake of the recent storm, and it is now asking for an extra 44,000 tons of food to assist typhoon survivors through March next year. The agency expects to help about 1.5 million Filipinos recover from the storms, including thousands of farmers who lost their entire rice harvests.

WFP said it was particularly concerned about the impact on young children, and is making preparations to start a supplementary-feeding program with the assistance of national nutrition authorities.

According to the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef), slum houses in Taytay province have been destroyed by strong winds, leaving around 5,000 people homeless. Unicef is evaluating their humanitarian needs, including for shelter.

Unicef is currently appealing for $22 million to fund the recovery and rehabilitation of families, especially children. It currently has $7 million committed but needs more in order to continue the work.

With fears of communicable-disease outbreaks high and water levels still high in some areas, UN humanitarian chief John Holmes said, “there is quite a long way to go” in recovery.

An assessment mission comprising representatives of WFP, the Unicef, the UN World Health Organization (WHO), government departments and nongovernment organizations has inspected Santa Cruz, Laguna, one of the hardest-hit areas. Emergency food supplies have already been distributed in Santa Cruz following Typhoon Santi, and logistical supplies are also being provided.