Typhoon Haiyan - One year on

     

I am leaving shortly for the Philippine Red Cross led press conference where the Secretary General, Gwen Pang, will give an overview of the work done by the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement since the devastating Super Typhoon struck one year ago.

 

On 8 November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan battered the Philippines and was marked as the strongest typhoon to ever make landfall in recorded history. The typhoon tore through the Central Visayas region with 300kph winds and heavy rain, triggering floods and mudslides and causing tsunami-like storm surges that destroyed coastal villages and towns.

Impact

Powerful winds, heavy rain, and tsunami-like storm surges caused by Haiyan wiped out entire coastal villages and inland towns, affecting more than 16 million people, forcing some four million away from their homes, and killing 6,300. More than 1.1 million families had their homes damaged or destroyed, while countless others had their crops, livestock, and belongings swept away. Hospitals and health facilities, schools and day care centres, water systems, power lines and telecommunications channels were torn apart. Roads, airports and seaports suffered heavy damage, cutting off entire communities from much-needed relief assistance.

Response 

The Philippine Red Cross’ response to Typhoon Haiyan was immediate, and with the international call for support from the Philippine government, the entire Red Cross Red Crescent Movement came together to further strengthen the National Society’s efforts. In the first four or so months following the typhoon, focus of the response was largely in fulfilling food, emergency shelter, healthcare and medical services, access to safe water, improved sanitation and essential household needs. With time, emphasis moved from emergency towards recovery efforts in support of those affected by the disaster

The Philippine Red Cross responded quickly to the emergency needs of the population largely in fulfilling food, emergency shelter, healthcare and medical services, access to safe water, improved sanitation and essential household needs.A typical distribution of CGI sheeting and shelter repair kits in Bantayan 2 weeks after the typhoon. This program was supported by Swiss Red Cross. Photo; Bob McKerrow

One year after Super Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the Philippines, tens of thousands of families whose livelihoods were devastated are returning to work with the support of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

Almost 30,000 households have so far received cash grants of up to USD 220 as part of the Philippine Red Cross’s three-year USD 360 million recovery plan which will support 500,000 people across Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Panay and Palawan islands.

Pigs, goats, chickens and stock for convenience or ‘sari-sari’ stores are among the most popular items being bought by Haiyan survivors as part of the livelihoods programme.[i]

Initial data shows farming, rearing livestock and setting up local convenience shops are the top three income-generators for those who have received Red Cross support.[ii]

“Kick-starting livelihoods is key to the long term recovery of disaster-hit communities and we have made this a priority in our work, as well as housing,” said Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Chairman Richard Gordon. “One year after Haiyan robbed so many families of their income, we are seeing people return to work and others setting up new businesses.”

Peanut butter production, candle making, and turning truck tyres into kitchen kit are also among the micro-enterprises that have been set up by entrepreneurs using the grants.

Six million workers saw their livelihoods either wiped out or damaged by the disaster – of which 2.6 million were living on or below the poverty line before the typhoon[iii].

Vocational training such as sustainable farming techniques, hog rearing, book keeping, arithmetic and advice on how to diversify and grow businesses is also part of the Red Cross support package.

Father-of-three and rice farmer Jessie Lape Jnr, from Luca in Ajuy, Panay, said: “The typhoon wiped out our crops and we had nothing to harvest – it was a desperate time. But the livelihood support has changed everything - I had the money to buy seeds, repair tools and now I have crop insurance. I can sleep easier knowing we are in a better position when the next typhoon hits.”

Since Haiyan devastated the region, PRC together with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and the International Committee of the Red Cross have been on the ground supporting hundreds of communities. Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies from around the world are also working across the country as part of the typhoon recovery effort.

More than 1.3 million people were provided with emergency relief in the aftermath and one year on, the Red Cross’s long term recovery plan is targeting some of the most vulnerable typhoon survivors. 

A Philippine Red Cross progressive core shelter and latrine in Palawan is an example of building back safer and lifting the standard of hygiene. These shelters in northern Palawan are funded and supported by Swiss Red Cross. Photo: Bob McKerrow

Building back safer shelters and community training on construction practices are a central part of the plan, which places resilience and risk-reduction at its heart.  Courses for masons and carpenters are being held and more than 6,500 fishermen have been provided with cash to buy or repaidamaged boats.

Almost 6,100 houses have been rebuilt and in the next 15 months, 40,000 families will have received safer homes. More than 23,000 households have also received roofing sheets to repair their homes.  A total of 192 classrooms have been repaired or rebuilt so far and rural health facilities are also being restored.

PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang said: “Recovery is well under way but there are still humanitarian needs on the ground and we are working across 400 communities (barangays) to ensure people get the support they need to rebuild their lives.”

Thanks to IFRC for access to this information.

For b-roll, photo galleries, case studies and more details on Philippine Red Cross recovery programme, go to http://philippineredcross.github.io/haiyan-one-year/

I can recommend this link:

 Spokespeople are also available for interview.

For further information:

In Philippines:

·         Robert Gonzaga, communications manager, PRC

Tel: +63 909 687 8872

Email: rigonzaga@gmail.com

·         Kate Marshall, communications delegate, IFRC

Tel: +63 998 960 6287 or +63 928 904 7115

Email: kate.marshall@ifrc.org; Twitter: @kateamarshall

·         Wolde-Gabriel Saugeron, communication coordinator, ICRC

Tel: +63 918 907 2125

Email: wsaugeron@icrc.org

In Geneva:

·         Benoit Matsha-Carpentier, Senior Communications Officer, IFRC

Mobile: +41 79 213 24 13   Email: benoit.carpentier@ifrc.org

·         Ewan Watson, public relations officer, ICRC

Tel: +41 22 730 33 45 or +41 79 244 64 70

Email: ewatson@icrc.org, Twitter: @EWatsonICRC  

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[i] Based on IFRC data from 13,047 conditional cash grant beneficiaries – October 19 2014

[ii] Based on IFRC data from 13,047 conditional cash grant beneficiaries – October 19 2014

[iii] UNOCHA/ILO http://www.ilo.int/global/resources/WCMS_242533_EN/lang--en/index.htm

Red Cross builds typhoon resistant homes in the Philippines

A step by step photographic guide to building typhoon resistant houses/shelters or homes as I prefer to call them, in the Philippines by the Philippine Red Cross Society for those who lost houses during Typhoon Haiyan (Yolande).  Photographs provided by Heike Kemper Shelter delegate Swiss Red Cross who is working with German Red Cross and PRC in Capiz.

                                                         Laying out the ground plan.

                                                             Shelter from the storm.

 Below, a critical design feature, affixing the typhoon strap which holds the roof structure to beams which are strongly cemented in the ground.

Heike Kemper above (left)

Heike Kemper from the Swiss Red Cross  (2nd from R) with the Philippine Red Cross construction team in Capiz. This is what she said, "You are wonderful people who in just 2 weeks learned how to manage a construction site on your own. I could not be more proud. :):):)" Great to see so many females in the team.

Story of a typhoon Haiyan survivor.

Her name is Anatalia M. Cabrera, 68 years old, singled-female household who was born on December 1, 1945 in Brgy. Poblacion, Tolosa, Leyte. She is popularly known as “Mana Tayang” in the locals and has been a resident of Tolosa for most of her existence. She is the 3^rd child amongst 4 children of a farmer, Mr. Eleuterio and housewife, Mrs. Angela Cabrera.  Growing up to them was not that much easy, Anatalia was not born with a silver platter or a golden spoon instead came from humble beginnings and had her fair share with hurdles in life. She came from a poor family, “there are days that we are broke and something to eat was scarce”, as she recalls.

Anatalia had troubles in schooling. She admits she was not on top of the class and don’t have much interest in getting an education which entirely affected by financial capability of her family.

At the age of 18, her mother got sick and was diagnosed with tuberculosis which needs a continuous medication for 6 months. It was one of the turning point where they had to work extra hard to earn for a living. As to his father, he tries to make both ends meet. By the age of 24 which Anatalia was still on her secondary education, her mother died. Three years later, her father died because of beriberi disease which left them as orphans. Anatalia had gone through everyday struggles to survive since all her siblings have built their own families thereafter. 

At the age of 27, she was forced to work away from Tolosa to look for a better source of living. She worked in Manila as a residential cook for 3 years and at the same time sends herself to College. Portion of her salary goes for expenses of schooling and some became her savings. She was a self supporting student but was not able to finish College due to financial constraints.

After working in Manila, she went back to Tolosa to settle. All her savings was spent for the improvement of the house left by her parents which she happily accomplished the construction of her latrine and kitchen. She started to put up a small variety store which sells cooked and raw vegetables. Sometimes she also sells candies and other goodies outside a primary school. It was her typical activities of everyday living. On the year 2012, Anatalia joined an organization called Bayanihan which was composed of 12 members and their main objective was to generate livelihood for their members through buy and sell of rice grains.

Anatalia is also a devout and been active in Church activities such as Catechism, in fact she is part of a Church group called Catechumenate which conducts religious and values education in some schools. 

To date, she is now an elderly living alone and her neighbors became the major support systems in times of hardships or needing help like during disasters.

TYPHOON HAIYAN:

                                                                                                    Few days prior to the disaster, news started to emerge regarding the birth of Typhoon Haiyan or locally named as Typhoon Yolanda. At first, Anatalia did not felt any urgency and threat to the typhoon because Philippines had been through such a lot though can’t help to sense a containable mild level of anxiety. Additionally, she recalled, “There was still a fine weather, mostly sunny and seldom raindrops. No hints the typhoon can be bad as it was”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              On November 6, 2013, news started to be more serious and persistent in advisory for the forecast strength and foreseeable devastation that the typhoon can bring. At this point, Anatalia has thought of the potential grievous effect of the upcoming typhoon.

             On November 7, 2013, Anatalia visited the Church, asked for guidance and protection from the Typhoon Haiyan. Did confession and prayed the rosary fervently. She also prepared clothes, foods and other necessary things she might need during any emergency situations.

                                                                                                                                             On November 8, 2013, at around 1am in the morning, strong winds start to blow in until 5am and Anatalia had still prepared to go to Church. By 6am, winds became stronger and zero visibility on the area. She knew that the worse has now started, thus she was helpless and all she did was pray. At the height of typhoon, Anatalia was asked to evacuate her house and went to her distant neighbor’s house. She went out of the house with a blanket overhead and carrying the emergency bag that she prepared. Unfortunately, the house also was wrecked by the typhoon. Anatalia was even hit by a stone on the head from the raging wrath of the typhoon. They had to hide underneath the sink until the typhoon pass. Afterwards, they transferred to another house. Anatalia was not able to take breakfast and lunch but was not also feeling any gist of hunger. By noon, she went to see her house and found that it was severely destroyed. All she could find was torn parts of her house and broken bricks. It was a heartbreaking moment for her, she was left with nothing. Nevertheless, she never loses hopes. She prayed for wisdom that she may be able to accept the aftermath situation.

                                                              She stayed in her distant relative for a week. At that time, no electricity, no source of communication and no open stores to buy for foods. They were all dependent to given reliefs from different organizations for her to survive everyday. Fortunately, there was assistance provided to her like tarpaulin and construction materials that helped in building a makeshift room for her to stay. A week after, she started cleaning her area.

              She joined a cash-for-work program, where they had to clean particular areas of the town. Activities include sweeping roads and disposing garbage. Her earnings were spent in the labor cost of making a better room for living. The room built was not enough to protect her from the cold weather and heavy rains.

                             By the month of April 2014, the Red Cross started its shelter project intervention in the Municipality of Tolosa. She underwent the process of house assessment, interviews, revalidation and others. Fortunately, she was picked to be the very first core shelter beneficiary of the shelter project. For her, it is a huge blessing and an ultimate gift that she couldn’t ask for more. It has far exceeded her expectations on the help she could get. Provided by Spanish Red Cross who worked with the Philippine Red Cross in building this home.