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Mid-Year Review of the Humanitarian Action Plan for the Philippines (Mindanao) 2013

Countries
Philippines
Sources
OCHA
Publication date

1. Summary

Since the Philippines (Mindanao) Humanitarian Action Plan 2013 was published in December 2012, communities in Mindanao continued to be affected by armed conflict, clan feuds, generalized violence and natural disasters. On 4 December 2012, Typhoon Bopha, locally known as Pablo, swept across Mindanao causing massive destruction particularly in Davao and Caraga regions in the east. Bopha affected over 6.2 million people and left 1,146 dead, 834 still missing and destroyed over 230,000 homes.

In order to respond to the critical humanitarian needs of typhoon-affected people, the Philippine Government and the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) rapidly appealed for US$65 million under the Bopha Action Plan as an addendum to the Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP).In January 2013, the Bopha Action Plan was revised with a 17% increase to $76 million to assist 923,000 people. To date, the Bopha appeal has received 67% of its total requirements allowing humanitarian partners to provide life-saving and early recovery assistance.

In other parts of Mindanao not covered by the Bopha Action Plan, communities continued to experience intermittent cycles of forced displacement and insecurity due to clan feuds and generalized violence from non-state armed groups. The original appeal of the Humanitarian Action Plan—which sought to provide assistance to 219,000 people in these areas—has only received 6% funding. Severe underfunding hampered humanitarian agencies’ emergency response capacities and early recovery projects could not be implemented. From January to April 2013, 315,500 people have been able to return home, 9,200 were displaced primarily due to armed conflict, and at least 5,000 people were forced to flee clan violence. Provision of essential relief and protection to internally displaced people, early recovery, and livelihood opportunities for returnees are priority actions that will assist in strengthening resilience of affected communities.

As the Philippines and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace process progresses, it is expected that more recovery and development programmes will reach the conflict-affected and return communities. In 2014, the HCT will shift its programming cycle from the habitually one-year humanitarian planning horizon towards a multi-year strategy which will integrate humanitarian, peace-building, and development programmes in Mindanao. Some of the Humanitarian Action Plan mid-year projects will be transferred to the new plan.

At mid-year, the revised HAP seeks $91 million, with an unmet requirement of $47 million, to continue to support the Government of the Philippines in responding to the humanitarian and protection needs of 530,000 affected people, and related capacity-building and recovery efforts.

This revised plan will also address the residual early recovery, livelihood, food security and agriculture, health and education needs of Bopha-affected communities in eastern Mindanao.

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