Typhoon Haiyan: Three months on

A special report from IMPACT Philippines

Background

Three months have passed since Typhoon Haiyan struck The Philippines: the

strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall. Known as Typhoon Yolanda

in the Philippines, it left devastation in its wake. At least 6,183 people died and

hundreds of thousands more were made homeless. The storm killed more

people than any other natural disaster during 2013.

The typhoon could not have struck at a worse time. Many parts of the

Philippines were only just reeling from a destructive 7.2 magnitude earthquake

and still experiencing aftershocks.

Dr Christine Perfecto, Director of IMPACT Philippines, describes what that day

was like for one family: ‘Their 12-year old grandson was the first to realise the

scale of the storm. He heard the roar of the sea, saw the waves and started

running to higher ground. Everyone ran after him, leaving everything they

owned behind them. Losing their footwear in the panic, they ran barefoot to

safer ground. When they returned after the storm, their homes were

destroyed - all piled up on the ground. In the sea they saw the debris of boats

being tossed many meters in the air, dashed onto the sharp rocks and littered

all around.’

IMPACT is not an emergency relief organisation but when disaster strikes in

an area in which we are already working, it is impossible to stand by and do

nothing.

The aftermath of the Typhoon

Thanks to your generous and timely response, IMPACT took immediate

action to help 20,000 people who had lost everything in the storm.

Emergency phase: IMPACT Philippines quickly mobilised an army of

volunteers to procure, pack and distribute survival packages to people who

were struggling to survive without food, shelter and clean water.

IMPACT’s aid efforts were carefully targeted to reach those in the worst hit

areas and who were most in need of help. Because so much international

attention was on the devastated City of Tacloban, we focussed our acute

emergency phase in Northern Cebu, which was cut off from the main island of

Cebu. In some areas, such

as Tabogon, 90% of

houses had been

flattened. Food and water supplies were low; there was no electricity

or petrol coming in and no means of communication.

Our standard survival packs comprised of enough food to feed a

family for up to 5 days and included: 3kg of good quality rice; 250

grams of dried sardine; 250 grams of mung beans; 40 ml of cooking oil;

ready to eat fortified oats; Supersnack (an oil porridge); multi-nutrient

powder and multivitamins to supplement the diets of children under

two; and fortified, high-energy wafers for children.

'It is heartening to hear from everyone

in the IMPACT family in these difficult

times that our country is facing, and so

good to know that we are all connected

by the compassion that we hold for all

humankind.’ - Dr Christine Perfecto

(Director of IMPACT Philippines)

Livestock & agricultural badly hit

Typhoon Haiyan struck during the major rice

harvesting season. It is estimated that one

third of the crop was destroyed, along with

other staples such as maize and sugarcane.

Livestock and poultry were also affected. The

Island of Bantayan is known as the ‘the egg

basket’ of the region. But with 6 million

chickens killed in the storm, it will be a long

process of recovery for the poultry industry.

Dr Perfecto (centre) with some of her team

More than 4 million homes were destroyed

IMPACT Philippines distributing food aid

Families queuing for food

Initial distribution begun in ten villages in the municipality of Tabogon, followed

by the remote mountain sugar plantation area of San Remigio (Calmabua,

Libaong, Sab-a, Luy-a and Kayam); and Malbago in DaanBantayan.

In one village an elderly woman was so hungry, after walking many kilometres to

reach our distribution point, that she reached into the bag of rice we gave her

and began to eat the uncooked grains.

20,000 people benefitted from emergency food rations and other items to

meet their basic survival needs.

Psychological support: In the days following the storm, displaced people from

Tacloban began arriving in Cebu. IMPACT Philippines maintained presence at

the Barangay Tinago evacuation site, helping to counsel and support the many

traumatised survivors. Dr Perfecto says that in difficult times; 'We can all help

by sharing what is closest to our hearts'. For IMPACT Programme Officer, Jose,

it is pottery and he ran daily pottery sessions for children at the centre.

Generalised food distribution: During our next phase of action we shipped

food for 1,000 families to the mountainous areas of Ormoc on Leyte Island.

This was distributed through volunteers, under the supervision of the

Archbishop of Palo. And boxes of fortified, high-energy wafers were distributed

to children on the Island of Camotes. Thankfully, islanders had been forced to

evacuate to safer land prior to the storm. Because of this there was no loss of

life but upon their return they found 100% of homes and structures destroyed.

We then proceeded to the area surrounding Medellin. Most fishermen in the

coastal villages of Tindog and Corba had lost their livelihoods, since their boats

and nets were wiped out in the storm. The local sugar mill was also affected

and with no work, people were, ‘close to starvation states’ when IMPACT

arrived.

By this time we were able to procure fresh produce to bulk up survival rations.

Thus in addition to the basic package, each family received: 1 kg of assorted

tubers (taro, cassava and sweet potato); 750g of squash; 1 kg of green leafy

vegetables (morning glory, malabar spinach and sweet potato leafy tops); 1kg

of dried and fermented anchovies; and 10 large cooking bananas.

Far from profiteering, local food suppliers knocked up to 20% off their usual

prices as their way of contributing to the aid efforts.

Aside from their nutritional value, these food items were selected because they

are traditional foods and local people are used to preparing them. Dr Perfecto

noted that in several locations she had seen NGOs distributing canned fish –

perishable once opened. For this reason IMPACT Philippines sourced dried fish,

with a long shelf life.

7,500 people in Tindog and Corba benefited from these supplies, with each

package designed to feed a family for 14 days.

Food distribution will continue in the above areas through to early spring and

include the Bantayan Island Islets. Working with village health personnel this

food-aid is being specifically targeted at the groups most vulnerable to

malnutrition, namely children under-five; pregnant and breastfeeding women;

older people and the disabled.

‘The amount of volunteerism on site is

just amazing, with people from

different walks of life helping procure,

pack, and distribute instant relief

goods’ - Dr Christine Perfecto (Director

of IMPACT Philippines)

Little Miss M ‘Meet little Miss M (3)

from Medellin, one of

the recipients of our

ongoing feeding

programme. She was

abandoned as a baby, often

left alone all day without food. She was

emaciated and had burn scars when she

was adopted by a neighbour. She does not

gain weight easily, being stunted at this

point and undernourished.

Over the next two months she will remain under IMPACT’s feeding programme, which supplements a third of each child’s daily calorie intake, until such time as her new family are able to rebuild their lives. The little girl did not smile the whole time we sat with her. We hope that when we return to check her weight next month we can report positive progress. We hope that we will see her smile one day and that she may become a bright and happy child.’

Dr Christine Perfecto (Director of IMPACT

Philippines)

Clay therapy

Emergency food rations

Rebuild and rehabilitation

The devastation in the Philippines may have dropped from the news

headlines but IMPACT’s relief efforts will continue for the foreseeable future.

Boat building: The coastal villages of Northern Cebu were badly hit and nearly

all small fishing boats were destroyed: ‘They either disappeared in the storm

surge or, as they described it, the boats were lifted many meters high and

slammed into the coral rock outcropping and blasted into smithereens,’

described one colleague.

People like Renato (48), a squid fisherman from Daanbantayan, lost his boat in

the storm. He, his wife Imelda, and their seven children are so thankful to

have benefitted from IMPACT’s boat-building programme.

50 boats are in the process of being constructed to replace those destroyed

in the storms, giving fishermen the means to feed themselves, earn a living

and contribute to the local economy.

Shelter building: Typhoon Haiyan destroyed or damaged more than four

million homes. Three months on and many people are still homeless or living

in precarious accommodation without electricity. IMPACT Philippines is

helping 35 homeless families by building traditional ‘Nipa’ huts, using locally

sourced materials. The huts are constructed from a bamboo frame, coconut

lumber, woven bamboo walls and a Nipa palm roof. Their design has been

perfected over generations and unlike tin and tarpaulin, they afford excellent

protection from rain and the heat of the day.

Thank you

Typhoon Haiyan goes down in

history as the Philippine’s

deadliest typhoon. The damage it

wreaked cannot be undone

overnight but thanks to your help

we were able to reach out to

thousands of men, women and

children in its aftermath.

We shall continue to distribute

food staples in our target areas to

assuage hunger and supplement

the diets of vulnerable people

who are at risk from long-term

malnutrition; in particular families with a child under-5, pregnant and

breastfeeding women, the elderly and the disabled.

We shall keep you abreast with this action over the coming months but in

the meantime Salamat – thank you – on behalf of all those who cannot

thank you in person, for your support and solidarity.

IMPACT Foundation UK, 151 Western Rd, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3LH - Tel: 01444 457080

www.impact.org.uk Twitter: @IMPACT_UK_ Facebook: www.facebook.com/IMPACTFoundationUK

‘One family told us they are just so happy to be alive and grateful that IMPACT has built them a place to shelter. This is what a little hope can do; it can lift people out of their ‘frozen’ state of helplessness, of not knowing what to do due to the enormity of the task ahead. So that they can reach a point where they can rebuild their lives’ - Dr Christine Perfecto (Director of IMPACT Philippines)

The 1st

family to benefit from a Nipa Hut

The boat-building workshop

Without your support we could not have

mobilised so quickly

Fresh produce supplemented basic rations