ReliefWeb

Highlights

• The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of US Foreign Development Assistance and the Government of Australia pledged contributions to help WFP continuously support the ongoing food assistance operations of the Government in Marawi City.

• WFP is launching an immediate response emergency operation to respond to the immediate needs of the families displaced by Tropical Storm Tembin (local name Vinta) in Lanao Del Sur.

• Funding constraints continue to affect WFP’s livelihood support in Central Mindanao.

Operational Updates

• Through its general food distributions, supported by the Government of Japan, WFP provided 36.9 mt of rice to 738 families in three barangays (administrative sub-units) in Marawi City, namely Tuca, Fort, and Bangon.

• WFP provided logistics support to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in transporting 200,000 family food packs to communities affected by Tropical Storm Kai-tak (locally known as Urduja) in Eastern Samar.

• On 29 December, WFP joined a rapid damage assessment and needs analysis in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) led by ARMM Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team and Mindanao Humanitarian Team. Reports indicate that 740,000 people were affected in 24 provinces and more than 310,000 remain displaced. Findings reveal that in addition to direct food assistance, displaced families would also require livelihood support, medication, water, and hygiene kits among others.

• To augment the Government’s data collection on the immediate needs of returning families affected by the Marawi crisis, an Emergency Food Security Assessment is scheduled to be conducted in the third week of January. Consequently, it will also include an assessment of the immediate needs of those displaced by Tropical Storm Tembin (locally known Vinta).

• In partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance, WFP hosted the Regional Interoperability Simulation Exercise (RISE) in Tagaytay City from 5-7 December. Through RISE, WFP was able to share valuable knowledge with the Government sector in strengthening their competencies, testing their plans, and using protocols in place during an emergency. Participating agencies included the DSWD, the Department of Interior and Local Government, Office of Civil Defense, and provincial and municipal government units of Cagayan and Benguet.

• On 7 December, WFP joined the National Convention on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction conducted by the Climate Change Commission in Manila. WFP presented its 72-hour rapid assessment approach and how it is utilised in the Philippines.

• On 14 December, WFP and the Department of Education held the Conference on the Presentation of Findings on the School Feeding Programme Delivery Assessment. Together with key stakeholders, WFP and the Department of Education are working to enhance the National Schoolbased Feeding Programme in the Philippines.