Situation Summary

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
1 I Facts & Figures / Talking Points / Philippines Typhoon Haiyan / 10 October 2014

Background

Typhoon Haiyan struck on November 8 2013 and was the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall in the Philippines. The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s recovery operation extends across a vast area of five island groups and an affected population of 16 million in more than 400 communities.

Situation Summary

6,300: Reported deaths
1,061: People missing
28,689: People injured
16 million: People affected
4.1 million: People displaced
1.14 million: Houses damaged

FACTS & FIGURES[i]

Relief phase

1.3 million people were reached with emergency relief.
91,000 households across Panay, Leyte, Cebu, Samar and Palawan received emergency cash grants.
24,300,000 litres of clean water were distributed to affected communities.
8,000+ Philippine Red Cross volunteers worked on the ground.
145,000+ households received emergency shelter materials across affected region.
388,140 households received food assistance.
179,630 households received health-related non-food items.

Recovery programme targets

• 500,000 people will receive humanitarian assistance eg/shelter repair kits, livelihood support etc

• 40,000 households will receive a safer home

• 50,000 households will receive cash and materials to repair their home

• 50,000 households will receive cash to restart their lives and livelihoods

• 100 communities will be trained in community based health and First Aid

• 400 classrooms will be repaired and equipped*

*All figures from Philippine Red Cross Recovery Plan 2013 – 16 (supported by Red Cross and Red Crescent partners)

Key achievements to date (as of October 10)

• More than 6,000 houses have been built.

• More than 13,500 households have received cash and materials for shelter repair assistance.

• 29,100 households have received $US220 for livelihood support.

• 192 classrooms have been repaired and equipped.

128,800 people have been reached through hygiene promotion activities.[ii]
More than 28,000 patients have received emergency health care.
More than 14,300 people affected by the typhoon have received psychological and emotional support.

Key messages: Recovery phase

Recovery and resilience-building: The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement aims to support 500,000 people in the areas worst hit by the typhoon and that effort continues.

Talking point: In the last year, we have made significant progress eg/ building safer housing across the affected islands, providing training and cash grants to enable communities to rebuild livelihoods, rebuilding and repairing classrooms and restoring/installing latrines. But recovery takes time and we are committed to a three-year USD 350 million plan to support shelter, livelihoods, education, health and water and sanitation. The thread that runs through our recovery programme is building resilience - helping to equip communities with the skills and know-how to better prepare for, withstand and recover from future disasters. From training carpenters and masons to providing workshops on safer building techniques, resilience is at the heart of the long-term recovery.

Shelter recovery: The Red Cross provided emergency shelter to almost one-in-four households affected by Typhoon Haiyan but we are also providing longer term housing over the 18 months.

The Red Cross is addressing long-term shelter needs by building houses as well as enabling communities to re-build themselves by providing corrugated iron sheets, shelter repair kits and cash grants. Volunteers have been trained to support education in communities on hazards and improving shelter safety to encourage sustainable reconstruction. The Red Cross remains committed to scaling-up its efforts as quickly as possible to meet the remaining needs in communities.

Relocation and land ownership are fraught with complex issues for many, with thousands still living in unsafe areas or poor conditions. The Red Cross is working closely with affected populations, the Government and other key agencies to find solutions that will support people to recover with dignity.

The Red Cross supplied 24 per cent of the emergency shelter needs in the immediate aftermath of the typhoon (for approximately 624,000 people) and we now aim to provide shelter repair assistance to 50,000 households as well as provide 40,000 new houses.

Livelihoods and cash support: The Red Cross provided a range of financial support for people affected by the typhoon, depending on their needs. The Movement prioritises cash as one of the most effective ways to assist communities hit by disaster.

Talking point: Providing cash as part of relief and recovery packages is used widely by the Red Cross. After the typhoon, we used a combination of cash programmes to support the most vulnerable. These included emergency unconditional cash grants to more than 91,200 households in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, cash-for-work schemes which saw individuals nominated by their community to take part in clean-up or repair work, and grants to enable self-employed people kick-start their businesses. For example, in Iloilo province in Panay, we have been providing cash to rice farmers to enable them to buy seeds ahead of the next planting season.

The Red Cross has prioritised livelihoods - 50,000 households will receive livelihood support, while 1,000 specialist training schemes are being launched, for example to train carpenters and masons, to equip people with vocational skills and open up new job opportunities.

Water and sanitation: The Philippine Red Cross is providing clean water and Red Cross volunteers and communities are being trained in hygiene promotion.

Talking point: The Philippine Red Cross is in the process of building 58,000 latrines for houses, schools and other buildings across the affected islands as well as providing hygiene education to tens of thousands of people. By promoting hygiene practices via Red Cross volunteers, the aim is to reduce the number of avoidable illnesses such as diarrhoea and sickness. Well over 128,000 people have already taken part in hygiene promotion activities.

Challenges: Although much has been accomplished in the last year, there have been some challenges that have hampered the recovery effort but the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement remains committed to serving communities.

Talking point: The extent of the devastation following Typhoon Haiyan was without precedent, affecting millions of people – many of whom lost their livelihoods when they lost their homes. Given that the worst hit areas were spread across five island groups, there were some logistical challenges early on and that did slow the response slightly, but the Red Cross is well versed in dealing with these types of situations and we dealt with it quickly and efficiently.

Indeed there are still families who live in tents and bunkhouses and have no means or are still finding ways to rebuild.

There is much more to be done, which is why the Red Cross is committed to a three-year recovery plan.

For further information contact:

In the Philippines:

Kate Marshall, communications delegate, IFRC

Tel: +63 998 960 6287;

Email: ; Twitter: @kateamarshall

Robert Gonzaga, communications manager, PRC

Tel: +63 909 687 8872; Email:

In Kuala Lumpur:

Patrick Fuller, communications manager, Asia Pacific

Tel: +60122308451; Email: ; Twitter: @pat_fuller

In Geneva:

Benoit Matsha-Carpentier, Senior Communications Officer, IFRC

Mobile: +41 79 213 24 13 Email:

Follow @philredcross for updates on Philippine Red Cross activities. Hashtags for Typhoon Haiyan are #Haiyan and #YolandaPH

[i] Figures from one-year progress report as of October 10, 2014

[ii] Emergency and recovery phases combined