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Philippines: Typhoons and floods 2013, Emergency appeal n° MDRPH012 Operation update n°5 - Seven-month consolidated update

Countries
Philippines
Sources
IFRC
Publication date

Summary: This update summarizes the progress made since the allocation of Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) – and subsequently the launch of emergency appeal to support the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) in providing assistance to families affected by typhoons and floods on Luzon Island – until 15 March 2014.

More than five million people were affected and at least 126,000 houses across Luzon island were damaged/destroyed due to multiple disasters beginning with Typhoon Utor (locally known as Labuyo) that struck in August 2013, followed by the southwest monsoon (locally known as Habagat), Tropical Storm Trami (locally known as Maring) and Typhoon Nari (locally known as Santi). A few days after Nari, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Central Visayas on 15 October causing loss of lives and significant damage to shelter. Barely three weeks after the earthquake, Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda), the strongest recorded typhoon to make landfall, struck several parts of Visayas, killing more than 6,000 people and displacing millions. The super typhoon also struck parts of Bicol and Southern Luzon. Furthermore, after Nari and before the end of 2013, five other weather disturbances – Typhoon Usagi (locally known as Odette), Typhoon Wutip (locally known as Paolo), Typhoon Quedan, Typhoon Vinta and Tropical Storm Wilma – hit and impacted the earlier-affected areas.

Seven months since the DREF operation was launched and six months on from the launch of an emergency appeal, provision of early recovery support is well underway. Through the support of the IFRC, 25,000 people were provided with hot meals during the emergency phase. At the conclusion of the relief phase, 10,500 families had received food, 3,600 received essential relief items and 16,425 families had been reached with hygiene promotion. Some 3,500 families were provided with unconditional cash grants. Health and hygiene promotion in the affected areas reached at least 16,400 families in nine provinces.