Philippines Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) - European … · [email protected] ... Philippines –...
Transcript of Philippines Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) - European … · [email protected] ... Philippines –...
Period covered: Monday 18/11/13 Sunday 24/11/13
Time of validity: Date: 24/11/2013
ECHO Field Office: Manila Philippines EUCP Team Tacloban
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ECHO Assessment Report – Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
ECHO Emergency Contact Tel.: +32 2 29 21112 Fax: +32 2 29 86651 [email protected]
This report covers the period 18 November – 24 November. It reflects significant
developments since the first ECHO assessment report (8-17 November) and
includes the results of the most recent ECHO assessment in Eastern Samar and
Guiuan.
Highlights
Despite preparedness and evacuations undertaken by the national authorities,
the humanitarian impact of tropical cyclone Haiyan is immense.
The full extent of destruction and loss of life is still not exactly known. Official
figures continue to increase. At the time of writing, the death toll has risen to
5235 while 1613 people are still missing according to official government
statistics
The number of affected has increased to more than 13 million persons, including
an estimated 4.2 million displaced. An estimated 1.09 million houses have been
destroyed or damaged.
From the day of the disaster ECHO technical experts from the offices in Manila,
2. Situation
1. Map
Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) ECHO ASSESSMENT REPORT 18 - 24 November 2013
Panay
Island
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
Jakarta and Bangkok have conducted field assessments. Based on those assessments an amount of 3
million EUR in humanitarian aid funds has been contracted to partner organisations (WFP, OCHA, IFRC and
TSF) in order to address the most urgent humanitarian needs.
Coordination, food assistance (including cash and supplementary feeding for children and pregnant
women), shelter, drinking water, sanitation, restoration of health services are reported to be the priority
needs. Gender and age aspects have to be taken into account, especially in areas of displacement where
social systems have broken down.
Based on a request from the government of the Philippines the EU Civil Protection Mechanism was
activated on 10 November. A 6-person civil protection team (EUCP team) was deployed to the affected
areas in the first days after the disaster. It was subsequently reinforced with 5 technical assistance and
support experts were also deployed. A second EUCP team arrived on 20 November taking over the
functions of the first team in Tacloban and Guian.
On 12 November a logistical coordination hub was established at Cebu airport. The above mentioned hub
is operated by the government (e.g. NDRRMC, DSWD, DOH) in cooperation with the military, USA Military,
UN and others.
Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis
Response visited Tacloban on 16 November to get a firsthand impression of the devastation caused by the
cyclone.
The air force of various countries (e.g. Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, South Korea, Sweden, USA) are
providing logistical support. The international coordination mechanism led by the United Nations (UN) is
now fully established and supported by the international actors on site. An On-Site Operation Coordination
Centre (OSOCC) had been established in Tacloban in the Grand Stadium with sub-OSOCC in a number of
places (Guiuan, Ormoc, etc.). The cluster system has begun functioning and regular coordination is
improving every day. Coordination and communication need to be further restored to prioritize needs and
ensure delivery of aid to people most in need.
The EUCP team established its presence in all strategic points of the response mechanism and is able to
support the overall coordination of aid by the national and international community.
This report aims to provide a preliminary consolidated overview of the needs, on the basis of existing
information collected over the period 8–24 November from various sources, including rapid assessments
of DG ECHO experts deployed to the field.
Overview
Aid delivery is gathering pace as access to affected areas improves. Partners estimate that more than 2.5
million people have received food aid and 10 000 households have received emergency health care in
affected areas. However, major needs remain in the distribution of food, access to clean water and the
provision of shelter materials.
An oil spill resulting from damage to a barge owned by the National Power Corporation remains a concern.
The typhoon caused the barge to run ashore near Estancia (Iloilo Province) at the height of the typhoon,
causing major health risks and posing a threat to the recovery of fisheries. On 22 November, UN
environmental experts carried out a joint assessment with the Environmental Management Bureau of
Iloilo. Equipment and additional expert advice are urgently required.
Humanitarian efforts are making progress, but life-saving assistance is still urgently needed. Two weeks
into the response, major needs remain in the distribution of food, access to clean water and the provision
of shelter materials. Food aid has reached over 2.5 million people in affected areas to date.
Health facilities capacity is becoming stretched. Overcrowding is increasing the risk of outbreaks of
infectious waterborne diseases.
Debris-clearance on major routes such as Tacloban City-Palo-Tolosa-Dulag-Macarthur continues to
improve access and the supply of relief goods. The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reports
that 35 162 cubic metres of accumulated debris have been collected to date.
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
The Multi Cluster Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA), coordinated by OCHA and supported by various NGOs,
is ongoing and making progress. It is supposed to be completed by 27 November. Based on the results
OCHA will revise its Strategic Response Plan on 7 December.
The Government of the Philippines (GoP) has clearly taken over the responsibility for all sectors of
response. They are actively requesting assistance to the international community through the cluster
meetings. The first emergency response phase is smoothly moving into an early recovery phase.
Coordination
The GoP declared a national state of calamity on 11 November 2013, three days after the disaster. The
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has been tasked to oversee the
overall coordination of the response to this disaster.
The first seven days were extremely challenging, all activities being hampered by the almost complete
breakdown of infrastructure systems: transport, utilities and communications; as well as by the
complexity of the challenges faced and the sheer size of the affected area. As a result, the overall
response mechanism, covering coordination, the supply chain and distribution of incoming assistance, was
barely able to function.
The coordination of the international response is done through the logistical hub at the airport in Cebu and
the UN On-Site Operations Coordination Centre (OSOCC) in Tacloban, which are now running more
effectively after the arrival of various senior staff members from different parts of the world. The
organization and efficiency of clusters during the first 2 weeks was very different, with some of them
effectively functioning within a few days after the disaster, and others only starting two weeks after the
disaster.
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There are sub-OSOCCs in a number of places (Guiuan, Ormoc, etc.). The support of the EUCP team
members during the first week was essential in order to set up basic coordination structures.
Rapid field needs assessments have been conducted by ECHO staff from the RSO in Bangkok, which was
then complemented by information from the EUCP team members that were placed in key coordination
positions were information was continuously coming in from different parts of the affected area. In
addition, ECHO received various reports from implementing partners including information exchanged with
the ASEAN Emergency Response Assessment Team (ERAT). This team was supported by a member of the
ASEAN Partnership Group (APG), which receives funding from ECHO. ECHO also received satellite maps
from the Copernicus Emergency Mapping System, which were widely shared.
One concern is that locations such as Tacloban may soon be overwhelmed on the supply side, while basic
demands in other areas, such as Guiuan, are not met. Already food is not a major issue anymore in
Tacloban, while shelter has emerged as first priority. However in other areas food did not yet reach the
affected population. There is a risk that the most affected areas receive the most attention and therefore
also the most aid, while less affected areas may be neglected. Thus, demand and supply of aid have to be
monitored closely on a daily basis. There is a continuing requirement for coordination to ensure that aid
reaches the people most in need.
Although there have been cases of looting and movements of armed people are reported in some
locations, in general, aid delivery is possible and distributions are done without presence of police or army.
However security has to be monitored. It is important that distributions are well prepared in order to avoid
chaos at distribution sites. The GoP has strengthened presence of security forces to maintain law and
order.
In general, the assessments indicate the most urgent needs to be shelter, food, drinking water and
medical care. Shelter and food sometimes swap priority depending on food distributions. Quantity of water
in general is sufficient, but often the quality of the water is insufficient. Further needs include medical
attention for the injured as well as general health care. Although various medical teams are active in the
affected areas referral is a problem and the medical facilities urgently need repair in order to provide
sustainable basic medical care to the population.
Temporary schools and child-friendly spaces are also required. Gender and age aspects have to be taken
into account, especially in areas of displacement where social systems have broken down.
Enhancing logistics and communications will facilitate faster delivery of humanitarian aid. Due to the
topography and in order to avoid the congestion of airports, onward transport by sea has been organized.
Temporary storage facilities and handling equipment continue to be scarce. However in general the
logistical network is improving.
Many facilities of Tacloban airport have been destroyed, but the airport is used to its full capacity.
Numerous military as well as commercial flights are carried out per day and military equipment ensures a
quick unloading of airplanes that usually are able to take off within 20-30 minutes after arrival in order to
create space for the next plane to land.
The telephone companies are working on repair of the telecommunication network. An estimated 74% is
working at the moment. However the quality of the signal is sometimes low in certain areas.
Assessment by Region
Leyte
The assessment was conducted from 9-11 November. The ECHO team was the first international
humanitarian team to arrive in Ormoc City, south of Tacloban.
The extent of destruction and isolation was confirmed during this field visit; areas up to 100 km from the
eye of the typhoon suffered 80% to 90% destruction of public facilities, houses and commercial
establishments. All electricity lines were down and huge trees were uprooted.
The damage to infrastructure was massive within a 50 km radius of the typhoon's eye. 90% to 100% of
houses and government buildings were damaged, the electricity system was completely down, hospitals
were damaged and roads were blocked by fallen trees and electricity poles. The Department of Public
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Works and Highways is clearing the roads. Huge amounts of waste and debris were seen in almost all
areas.
There was an evacuation before the typhoon, but some evacuation centres were unable to withstand the
strong winds or the storm surge and some of the reported casualties were trapped in collapsed evacuation
centres. Many of the buildings usually used for evacuation, such as schools, gymnasiums, and churches,
are severely damaged.
In eastern Leyte, the ECHO team reported that local municipal and barangay governments were badly hit
by the disaster. This seriously affected their ability to collect data and establish coordination structures for
relief support.
Joint assessment undertaken by a DG ECHO humanitarian and civil protection assessment experts, a B-FAST member and an NGO representative (ACTED).
Coordination, communication and logistics
Further support for coordination is needed. This must be established from the barangay (village) level up
to municipal and provincial levels. OCHA has setup a sub-OSOCC in Ormoc and is regarding
telecommunication supported by TSF.
Urgent restoration of communication systems, especially at this time of emergency relief, must be
prioritized. The government and the private telephone companies have been restoring mobile phone
services and by 16 November the situation had improved. The Armed Forces of the Philippines reported
that all towns in Leyte are accessible by road. However, the roads are congested as debris is only partially
cleared. Transport is still a key issue for the delivery of supplies. In some areas communications are still
down, but likely will be restored in the coming days.
Food and Livelihood
Food was reported to be the biggest problem at the time of the assessment. However food distributions
have increased substantially and shelter has become equally important. Along the eastern coast of the
province, municipal officials stated that they distributed their emergency food stocks to evacuees prior to
the typhoon's landfall. The national government (through the Philippines Air Force) has resorted to food
drops. This has involved the use of military helicopters to drop rice in sacks.
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General food distributions will be required for at least the first three months. Communities have lost their
food stocks and the next harvest. During the assessment markets were either not functioning or not
accessible. A few small businesses have opened since then and accessibility by road has been restored.
Security is not an issue. For the coming weeks it should be noted that massive logistical support is
provided by the air force of several countries, which will likely last for a few weeks only.
The exact amount of damage to livelihoods is difficult to estimate at this stage, but it was observed that
agricultural crops (sugar cane and coconut) were severely damaged. On the east coast, fishing equipment
has been damaged.
Shelter:
Emergency shelters, such as tarpaulins, are urgently required, especially given that the rainy season is not
over yet. In most of the affected areas these items have been distributed. Carpentry tools should be
provided to help those who are starting to build temporary houses using salvaged materials. Non-food
items such as sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, lights (kerosene lamps) and cooking utensils are
also urgently needed.
WASH:
Water is available. People have broken the street fire-hydrants to obtain water, while broken pipes on the
roads and dug wells on farms are also a source. Nevertheless, there is still a need for potable water.
Water kits including water purification agents such as Hyposol are necessary, as the water quality is
compromised. Sanitation should be improved through debris-clearing, although people have already
started to clean-up their surroundings and made impressive progress. Large public areas remain still
covered with debris. There is a need for support to collect and dispose the huge amount of waste. At the
household level, people need hygiene kits and these should be distributed together with the other non-
food items.
Health:
Some temporary health services through mobile clinics, field hospitals and health posts have been
established. Since all health structures (primary and secondary levels) were severely damaged and health
workers were also badly affected, temporary health services are essential. Provincial hospital and district
hospitals are still in need of substantial repairs and only partly functional.
Protection:
There are concerns about increased risk of child trafficking due to the disaster (poverty, vulnerability,
collapse of social structures). Child-friendly spaces, as well as gender aspects, need to be taken into
account in all interventions.
Tacloban
Tacloban was heavily affected by the typhoon. The magnitude of the storm surge caught the city by
surprise, resulting in a high number of deaths and several hundreds of people still missing. Tacloban is the
capital of Leyte Province and has a population of ca. 220 000. It is strategically located between Samar
and Leyte provinces and considered to be the commercial centre.
Coordination and Logistics
A Reception and Departure Centre (RDC) has been set up at the airport by members of the first UNDAC-
team and has been supported by members of the EUCP team since 14 November. Due to a shortage of
UNDAC/UN-staff the EUCP staff ensured continuity of the services of the RDC, not only for aid arriving
from Europe, but also from other parts of the world. The members of the RDC are actively approaching
newly arrived aid teams and individuals and give them a short briefing about the local context, the
coordination mechanisms. The TAST module deployed from Italy through the EU CP Mechanism is re-
enforcing the RDC function at Tacloban airport. A curfew is in place between 20.00 and 5.00.
The main OSOCC has been set up in the municipal stadium. Day by day the functioning of the OSOCC and
its facilities is improving. Members of the EUCP team are actively contributing to the functioning of the
OSOCC and liaising with various local and international actors in order to ensure a quick and efficient
delivery of aid from Europe and other parts of the world. A basic cluster system has been set up and
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cluster meetings are held regularly with a daily inter-cluster meeting at the end of the day. The OSOCC
receives support from a number of organisations regarding accommodation, logistics and communication.
Electricity poles and wires are down almost everywhere. The main power plant has been flooded and
needs extensive repair or replacement. Repair of electricity lines has started.
Temporary warehousing has been set up at the airport. Lorries are available in the local market, but rental
prices have increased considerably. In Tacloban the numbers of transport means is increasing by the day.
The harbour in Tacloban is operable but not fully functional.
Food & Livelihood:
Food distributions are organized everywhere and according to the local government food is not a problem
anymore as long as distributions continue. Until now 95 % of the shops are still closed. Commercial
activities came to a complete standstill, but are beginning to resume. Many vehicles, equipment and
communication means were destroyed beyond repair.
In the early stages of the response some Food for Work programmes could be considered because of the
limited food stocks that are currently available in the town. Later on, when the function of markets and
commercial activities will have been improved Cash for Work activities should be considered.
Shelter:
Initial tent distributions have been carried out. The Mayor indicated that shelter has become the main
priority. According to him areas near the sea have to be vacated by the owners because they are too
dangerous to live in. The government has identified land in other areas where people can rebuild their
houses. However it was observed that people are rebuilding shelters on the spots they lived before and
want to secure their landownership.
WASH:
The central facility for water distribution in Tacloban is now operational and able to pump clean water into
the system. Repairs are still needed for the distribution network. Hygiene promotion, sanitation and public
safety messages are being disseminated on the radio (although very few people have an operating radio
set). Families have been provided with hygiene kits. Sanitation remains a priority issue.
Health:
Medical waste management and water quality in medical facilities are major issues. Support is needed for
monitoring acute malnutrition, and for providing food to the patients in the hospitals. Hospitals are partly
functioning, but need repairs. Several medical teams are active in and around the city. Debris is a major
risk for the health situation.
Education:
13 sites have been identified where schooling can recommence and lessons will begin soon. A major
constraint is that displaced people are living in classrooms. They need immediate alternative shelter to
allow schools to open. This issue is being addressed by the relevant cluster.
Protection:
A protection cluster as well as a Child Protection cluster has been established in Tacloban. Communities in
remote areas, as well as in less affected areas must still be reached and their needs might be different.
Although security is until now not an issue, it could become an issue and all actors have been encouraged
to report any security-related developments or concerns.
Identification of unaccompanied children, who are at higher risk of human trafficking and sexual
exploitation, is a priority and safe spaces for children and women are being set up. Due to the breakdown
of social systems and dependency of many people, the risk of sexual violence has increased. Cases of rape
have already emerged in several media.
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
Damaged structures in Tacloban City, Leyte
Island, Philippines.
Selection from map produced through Copernicus
Emergency Mapping on 14 Nov 2013.
For full extent and higher resolution map visit: http://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/system/files/components/EMSR058_02TACLOBANCITY_GRADING_DETAIL04_v3_100dpi.pdf
Legend:
Destroyed
Highly affected
Moderately affected
Possibly affected
Land subject to flooding
In the area of interest (full extent map) all identified industrial buildings and 25% of the
educational settlements were destroyed. The remaining 75% of the educational structures have been highly or moderately damaged.
Approximately 56% of the residential settlements have been destroyed while all the remaining ones have been damaged.
The estimated thematic accuracy of this product is 60% or better, as it is based on visual interpretation of high resolution optical imagery.
Damaged structures in Palo City, Leyte Island, Philippines.
Selection from map produced through Copernicus Emergency Mapping on 14 Nov 2013.
For full extent and higher resolution map visit: http://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/system/files/components/EMSR058_04PALO_GRADING_DETAIL01_v2_100dpi.pdf
Legend:
Destroyed
Highly affected
Moderately affected
Possibly affected
In the area of interest (full extent map) all identified industrial buildings, 95% of the commercial, 83% of the medical and 93% of the educational settlements were destroyed.
Approximately 89% of the residential settlements have been destroyed while all the remaining ones
have been damaged.
The estimated thematic accuracy of this product is 85% or better, as it is based on visual interpretation of high resolution optical imagery.
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
Bohol
The ECHO assessment team that went to Bohol province (8-10 November) aimed particularly to gauge the
impact of the typhoon on the communities recently hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The following
observations were made:
The impact of the typhoon in Bohol was not severe; it only affected the towns of Alicia, Buenavista,
Carmen, and Trinidad. With pre-emptive evacuation, the provincial government was able to safely secure
its population of 1.2 million. The typhoon-affected families have returned to their homes, while those
affected by the earthquake remain in the evacuation centres. The tented camps of earthquake evacuees
were emptied during the typhoon and were set up again by the evacuees after the typhoon.
There were landslides in the municipalities of Cortes and Antiquerra, but the Provincial Disaster Risk
Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) reported that these were not life-threatening. It was also
reported that Pilar Dam (in the Municipality of Pilar) and Ubay Dam (in the Municipality of Ubay)
overflowed due to the typhoon, but PDRRMC also indicated that this posed no threat to people's lives.
The field team's observations from the earthquake-affected areas in the municipalities of Loon, Antequerra
and Maribojoc confirmed that the condition of the quake-affected population was not seriously aggravated
by the typhoon, although some electricity and water services were interrupted (and only a few
municipalities have generator sets for water generation and distribution).
Panay
A Rapid Assessment was conducted on 12-14 November. The ECHO team drove from Kalibo town in the
north, to Iloilo City in the southern part of the island, following the coastal route along the north-eastern
coastline and covering: Kalibo, Banga, Batan, Sapian, Roxan, Panay, President Roxas, Pilar, Estancia,
Concepcion, and Iloilo.
Provincial and local authorities in the north of Panay Island were well prepared and this explains the
limited casualties reported. However, the scale of damage to livelihood and infrastructures is tremendous.
The highest level of loss and destruction was in the north-eastern part of the island, reaching maximum
impact in Estancia. According to the governor and a NDRRMC official, a storm surge of 6-9 metres lashed
Estancia for around two hours, leaving 86 dead and the port and public market totally destroyed.
Heading south from Estancia, the destruction seemed to gradually fade over a relatively short distance of
around 10-20 km. The town of Concepcion (where the typhoon officially made landfall) was less affected
than the north. South of Concepcion, the impact diminishes relatively quickly, with Iloilo City seemingly
completely spared.
Coordination and Logistics:
Roads are accessible, although debris is still lying on the road sides. The same logistical difficulties as in
other areas have been observed.
Food and Livelihood
Food shortages were reported primarily by communities in the most affected areas. The situation is
alleviated somewhat by the fact that most of the rice paddies were harvested recently. However, there is
little or no information about the food-security situation at household level.
Shelter:
Buildings constructed with natural materials, and generally the roofs of all structures, suffered the
greatest damage, with all buildings in the most affected areas severely hit. There is an urgent need for
emergency shelters (e.g. plastic sheeting, tents etc.), throughout the affected area. Infrastructural
damage to the electrical/power system was immense, with power masts and lines out of action. However,
the generator capacity on the island is significant, and is already providing power to most of the essential
facilities, such as hospitals and water pumping stations.
WASH:
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
Due primarily to a lack of electricity, access to drinking water is a problem. Bigger towns with generator
back-up do generally seem to have restored access to drinking water, but badly-affected rural areas with
no boreholes face problems.
Health:
The typhoon caused physical injuries, however, the scale is not dramatic, and the healthcare system
(primarily the hospitals) appears to be coping. There are no reports so far of an increase in the incidence
of diseases with epidemic potential. Although a lot of health infrastructures, especially rural clinics,
suffered significant damage and are not functioning, most hospitals are operational, at least to some
degree, and they are not significantly overburdened.
Healthcare needs therefore are not for the moment significantly above normal, and are reasonably well
covered by the national institutions and structures. However, depending on the overall effectiveness and
timeliness of relief interventions, especially regarding shelter and water, health and healthcare could
become a serious problem in the near future and need to be monitored closely.
Samar
ECHO's rapid assessment of the eastern coast of Samar by the Regional Sector Expert for water and
sanitation / shelter took place from 14-19 November, with support and in conjunction with PLAN, which
has an ongoing programme in the area.
The team started in Legaspi and took the ferry to Samar in Matnog. From there the team drove by car to
Catarman – Catbalogan – Borongan – Hernani – Guiuan with various stops on the way in which the team
observed the destruction and spoke with affected families and local government officials.
In general it was concluded that the humanitarian situation is less acute than expected. According to the
police, Eastern Samar counted 245 dead and 44 missing, which is far less than Leyte Province. The
affected population has access to water, basic shelter and food and coping mechanisms are in place. This
resilience can be attributed to the experience people have with cyclones. People are not desperate and are
confident that they can rebuild their lives. However, in the next 3 months the situation could change
dramatically, if immediate measures are not taken. The storm damage in East Samar is mostly due to
extreme wind. On the road from Marabut to Guiuan there are many small to medium size settlements and
more than 90% of the houses are destroyed or severely damaged. The east coast is reported to have
significant damage that gets less severe as you head north for Barangay with the exception of Hernani,
which experienced a storm surge and will need more assistance.
Most places were more affected by extremely strong winds rather than by the storm surge. According to
the ECHO expert, the main issue in delivering relief is road access. The transport costs are high and
getting fuel is an issue.
The emergency response should prioritize shelter (including materials and tools); drinking water and
containers (the population has access to water but not potable); health and medicines. In some places
like Hernani, food was still considered to be the highest priority.
The ECHO team assessed the situation in Guiuan (population 47 000, 60 barangya’s). The US-carrier
group has delivered food and water to the affected region. The locations are selected by the DSWD and
USAID is delivering. The team was informed that stocks were running low illustrating the dependency on
the logistics system. The team called the DHC to deploy more food to the airport. The food is provided by
USAID, WFP, and ICRC. The operation has now covered all 13 municipalities with initial rations.
There is currently no curfew in Guiuan. During distributions no presence of police or military is required.
Partners should be asked to reflect gender sensitiveness in their projects, because or risks of exclusion,
violence and rape in a setting were social structures are greatly affected by the cyclone.
The UN Under Secretary General ERC Baroness Valarie Amos, David Carden Head of OCHA Philippines and
Zola Dowell Asia Pacific CRD visited Guiuan on 19 November. They were briefed by the UNDAC team,
carrying out visits to the Airport, General hospital and town area. In addition a meeting was conducted
with Admiral Montgomery Wetherald (Commander Combined Task Force Pacific fleet) at Guiuan airport.
The UNDAC Sub-OSOCC in Guiuan is supported by two members of the EU CP team.
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
On 18 November an assessment of Talaloral, Samar was done by the EUCP team and Acted local staff.
The overall impression is that this region appears to be slightly affected by the typhoon. There were no
reports of deaths or missing persons. The mussel industry and fish cages were completely destroyed as
well as banana plantations and fruit trees. According to the provincial government, 9 municipalities are
seriously affected and in need of assistance. All are located south of Borongan City (east coast). The 9
municipalities (in bold the most affected) are: Balangkayan, Hernani, Quinapundan, Salcedo, Mercedes,
Guiuan, Giporlos, Balangiga and Lawaan. An initial UN assessment has identified only 5 municipalities
affected, located north of Borongan (Oras, Dolores, Taft, Jipapad, Borongan).
Coordination and Logistics:
The UNDAC/EUCP team established a Sub-OSOCC and a humanitarian hub in Guiuan, where partners can
access power and internet. The area is close to the Mayor's building. The current operational team remains
at three persons, of which two are EUCPT members. UNDAC reinforced this OSOCC with one new member
on 23 November. Direct face-to-face coordination with local, national and international actors on site
remains critically important.
For communication, the Sub-OSOCC is supported by Telecom Sans Frontieres (TSF) that receives funding
from ECHO Humanitarian Aid. A cluster system has been setup with 9 operational clusters. The
coordination among all actors operating in the region is good. All parties are working to support their
government counterparts and striving to share resources.
Similar to other areas the damage is extensive. Aid delivery and the assessment were hampered by the
shortage of fuel. Transport means, earth moving equipment and other machinery in areas affected by the
storm surge were not usable any more. Absence of dump trucks is an issue.
However, transport and other equipment are slowly coming in. The local government in Guiuan is
confident that soon there will be sufficient capacity to distribute the goods arrived to the airport including
food. The main roads to Guiuan are open, but debris remains in piles on the sides and corners of the
roads.
Food Security and Livelihood:
The shortage of food is related to logistics and transport and not to availability. There are many donations
of food from different organizations which currently cannot reach the affected areas. The dependency on
distributions will last for at least 3 months and the food situation should be monitored closely.
All plantations in the path of the cyclone are severely damaged and it is assumed that on average it takes
6 years to recover. However at this stage it is clear that there is a need for Cash for Work (or in case food
is not sufficiently available locally for Food for Work). This should include the cutting of the falling trees to
specific size of pieces to be used for construction materials (this activity could save a lot of money on
transportation costs). The local government in Hernani announced plans for temporary employment of one
member per affected household.
Access to cash for all affected families is an issue as banks are still closed at the moment. Although many
shops are open and they have limited supplies, the shortage of cash causes the slow recovery of the local
economy. The food distribution system improved considerably. However this does not automatically mean
that a sustainable food situation has been achieved and that access to food is secured for the longer term.
Food distribution is on-going through the Red Cross, various NGOs, churches, the private sector and air
forces from various countries. Individuals from other parts of the country bring in food in large quantities.
However many of them have difficulties to transport the goods to the final location. It is expected that the
need for logistical support will continue and maybe even increase in the coming weeks.
Distributions are rather chaotic in terms of kind of food, geographical area, the target population and the
way of distributions. Food was sometimes dropped from the air and the strongest people pushed away
others to obtain it. This marginalises especially women, children and vulnerable people. There is a clear
need for organized distributions which will ensure equal treatment to all gender groups.
The distributions are targeting the worst affected barangyas and towns, while areas that are not so badly
hit are excluded. Some areas benefited from multiple distributions, while others from none.
Shelter:
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
An estimated 480 000 people in Eastern Samar are in need of shelter. The main need is the distribution of
materials (e.g. coco lumber, walling materials) and tools. People showed good coping capacity and are
ready to repair their houses. The availability of coco lumber should not represent a problem, given that
the area is full of coconut plantations and there are coconut trees on the ground. However, ownership
problems related to falling trees should be considered in advance. This will help in not excluding from coco
lumber distributions people without land (partners should use the lessons learned from Mindanao on this
issue). In order to “Build Back Better” training of carpenters should be considered.
Similar to Tacloban local authorities have a plan to relocate the village in a safer place in 5 km distance
from the existing location and are also in negotiation phase regarding the land. The plan foresees the
relocation of 2 000 households. Experience in countries affected by the tsunami in 2004 has proven that
such relocations are extremely complicated and often underestimated especially regarding the
landownership issues. The risk is that it leaves people without appropriate shelter for months in
anticipation of a long term solution. People refuse to leave their homes. The huge majority are creating a
covered space using tarpaulins and recycled materials.
WASH
The main needs are water treatment and the distribution of water containers for transport and storage.
The WASH cluster is working well and the first meeting was already held on 12 November. Some water
systems are damaged and need to be repaired, while some water systems are only down because they
use electrical pumps and until now no electricity was available. The hand pumps are working, but the
problem is that they provide brackish water. In Guiuan no problems were observed related to defecation.
The Mayor explained that the toilets in most of the damaged houses are still functional. For sanitation the
clearance of the area for debris has first priority.
Health:
Health posts are still partly functioning and in Hernani a shortage of medicines was reported. Several
foreign medical teams are providing medical care. Medical facilities are in need of repair.
Damaged structures in Guiuan City, Samar Island, Philippines.
Selection from map produced through Copernicus Emergency Mapping on 15 Nov 2013.
For full extent and higher resolution map visit: http://emergency.copernicus.eu/mapping/system/files/components/EMSR058_05GUIUAN_GRADING_DETAIL01_v1_100dpi.pdf
Legend:
Destroyed
Highly affected
Moderately affected
Possibly affected
In the area of interest (full extent map) six out of seven educational settlements were highly affected while one was destroyed. All recreational, institutional and religious structures were affected to some extent.
Seven medical settlements were highly affected, while 63% of the residential buildings were destroyed and 27% highly affected.
The estimated thematic accuracy of this product is 60% or better, as it is based on visual interpretation of high resolution optical imagery.
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
A daily updated list of national and international response can be obtained from the NDRRMC reports as
published on: http://www.ndrrmc.gov.ph.
The Commission has so far allocated funding of EUR 20m (EUR 10m humanitarian assistance, EUR 10 m
for early recovery). Together, the Member States and the Commission have now committed more than
EUR 120 m for this emergency. Norway has announced an increase in its contribution to an equivalent of
EUR 25m.
In addition, the European Commission has received requests for almost EUR 3 million from Participating
States for transport co-financing through the EU Civil Protection Financial Instrument
The UN declared a Level 3 emergency, and launched an appeal for USD 348m (initially 301m). According
to the latest OCHA report no. 17 (25 November), this is funded up to USD 134m (39%) as of 24
November.
1. Continue to support the following sectors taking into account the rapidly evolving situation and the
geographical disparity regarding the level of recovery and the relief assistance currently provided while
ensuring gender/age, (child) protection and nutrition aspects in humanitarian interventions.
- Food assistance: adapted to the need of the affected population and the level of recovery. Food distribution
(targeted to vulnerable), Food for Work, supplementary feeding (children, pregnant women), Cash For Work (where markets are re-established) for repairing community infrastructures such as schools and health posts, unconditional cash grant. Cash transfer should be integrated within all sectors of intervention as appropriate.
- Shelter: Emergency shelter such as tarpaulin (if still needed), shelter repair kit (including tools), upgrading
existing evacuation centers (schools, cover court), provide alternative transitional shelters (where appropriate). - Water and Sanitation/ hygiene: water supply, toilets and wash rooms in evacuation centers, water
purification and water containers, hygiene promotion, cleaning debris, waste management. - Health: Primary health care services including mother and child care, epidemiological surveillance, support to
vaccination campaigns (cold chain), nutritional surveillance, psychosocial support (child friendly space). Support to existing local health system is highly recommended.
2. Continue to support the On Site Operation Coordination Centres (OSOCCs) with EUCP-experts to
enhance the effective and efficient delivery of (European and other) assistance.
3. Continue to support the logistical hub at Cebu Airport until this hub is sufficiently staffed to facilitate the
incoming goods and people.
4. Continue the international coordination liaison role with local and regional authorities in order to ensure
embedding in the local context.
5. Continue to support the UN by filling the most urgent gaps in staffing regarding Logistics and
Coordination until permanent UN-staff has arrived on site and ready to take over.
6. Deploy a third EUCP team to ensure continuity of the logistics hub, the (sub)-OSOCC and Reception /
Departure Centre as long as European and other foreign aid supplies are coming in.
7. Report to/inform the Member States of the assistance needs, encourage further offers of assistance
that match reported needs and facilitate current offers made through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism
in case needs for further support are indicated by the current team members on the ground.
4. Conclusions and recommendations
3. National and international response
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ECHO Consolidated Assessment Report Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
8. Use the outcome of the DG ECHO project’s monitoring and field assessment, and other humanitarian
needs assessment (Multi Cluster Rapid Assessment, OCHA, INGOs, IOs) in December/ January as
guideline for further (early recovery) support.
9. Take into account the needs in less heavily affected areas to avoid that all aid will be concentrated in
serious affected areas like Tacloban that were extensively exposed in the media.
10. Conduct a lessons learned exercise between EU-member states, DG ECHO and DG Development in
order to enhance the Linkage between Relief, Rehabilitation and Development (LRRD), the relation
between Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection and civil-military cooperations.
Annex: overview table on MS assistance