Philippines Typhoon Forces OCA to Postpone Annual Meeting

TACLOBAN, PHILIPPINES - NOVEMBER 10: Downed power lines and debris block the road in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan on November 10, 2013 in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines. Typhoon Haiyan, packing maximum sustained winds of 195 mph (315 kph), slammed into the southern Philippines and left a trail of destruction in multiple provinces, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate and making travel by air and land to hard-hit provinces difficult. Around 10,000 people are feared dead in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year. (Photo by Jeoffrey Maitem/Getty Images)

(ATR) The Olympic Council of Asia has postponed its general assembly in the Philippines in the wake of the devastating typhoon.

The OCA meeting had been scheduled to take place in Boracay Islands, Philippines from Nov. 27 to 29. The Asian Games Centennial Festival Celebrations are also off.

Citing the "scale of the tragedy", with reports saying up to 10,000 people have been killed by Typhoon Haiyan and nine million affected, the OCA today informed its members that the meeting was postponed.

It said Boracay had been "severely affected… and all communication to the island has been lost for the time being".

"The OCA stands behind its brothers and sisters in the Philippines and will do its utmost to ease the sufferings of those who have been affected by this great tragedy," the OCA said in a letter to Asian NOCs and Games organizing committees signed by president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah.

In a message to the president of the Philippines Olympic Committee, Sheikh Ahmad "expressed his deepest condolences on the lives lost and conveyed his strong support in the rebuilding efforts".

The OCA said it was trying to reschedule the general assembly for January.

Reported by Mark Bisson

20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.