UN SEEKS $46 MILLION FOR PHILIPPINES TYPHOON RELIEF

(Manila: 18 December 2006):  The United Nations today appealed for $46 million to meet the urgent relief and early recovery needs of the most vulnerable persons affected by the series of four typhoons that have hit the Philippines since the end of September this year.  Of all disasters in the Philippines, typhoons claim the most lives.

The four typhoons have affected almost eight million people, of the total population of nearly 90 million, in 62 of the country’s 79 provinces.  The impact of these typhoons has been so severe that resulting landslides, flash floods, massive mudslides and widespread flooding have caused a large number of casualties, buried a number of villages and caused widespread destruction.  As of mid-December, the Government has reported 942 deaths, 850 persons missing, and more than 2,800 injuries.  Nearly 440,000 people have been displaced:  more than 190,000 remain displaced in 652 evacuation centres. 

Throughout the affected areas, 512,000 homes have been completed destroyed, and a further 711,000 partially damaged, at an economic cost amounting to some $355 million. Infrastructure, agricultural crops, and schools have been damaged or destroyed, with losses estimated at $308 million.  Primary and secondary classes in the affected areas have been indefinitely interrupted.  Additionally, local government offices and medical facilities have also incurred major damage, seriously affecting the delivery of basic medical and emergency services.  Disrupted access to safe drinking water and the breakdown of waste management also represent a major threat, and the risk of outbreaks of water borne diseases is looming.

Initial and immediate emergency relief has been made possible through a grant of $2.6 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). The Appeal launched today requests funding for continuing emergency relief work and early recovery needs over the next 12 months.  With their homes destroyed and no clear source of renewed livelihood, the affected population requires continued emergency relief, as well as emergency rehabilitation assistance that promote self-sufficiency, such as shelter and construction materials and food for recovery projects.  Priority needs include emergency shelter items, food, clean drinking water, paediatric medicines, water and sanitation assistance, and generator sets for hospitals, among others. 

Government authorities, United Nations agencies, and other partners in the Philippines are working together in the spirit of the humanitarian response reform. This has meant establishing a coordinated and inclusive approach to designating responsibilities, mobilizing partner agencies and resources, especially from among the NGO community, planning and delivery, and the engaging affected populations in decisions and activities which impact on their recovery.

“The cumulative impact of these disasters will require longer-term recovery efforts over the next twelve months to address immediate needs and, in parallel, help restore the capacity of the authorities to respond, and of communities to help themselves, said the United Nations Resident Coordinator for the Philippines, Ms. Nileema Noble. “It is crucial that humanitarian relief efforts and early recovery measures are closely linked, to ensure the people and the Government of the Philippines are better prepared to meet the challenges of the disasters they regularly face.”
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For media inquiries, please contact: 

Agnes Aliman, UN Information Centre for the Philippines
Tel No. +63 2 338-5522, +63 2 338-5520,
Fax No. +63 2 338-0177
E-mail: alimana@unicmanila.org

Or

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570.  OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.

UNITED NATIONS ASSISTING PHILIPPINES AFTER TYPHOON

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

(New York:  5 December 2006):Typhoon Durian has caused widespread destruction across 13 provinces of the Philippines, affecting more than 1.5 million people in 125 municipalities and 10 cities, with 526 confirmed deaths, 740 people missing, and some 1,000 injured according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC). 

The typhoon, which lashed the country at the end of last week, destroyed more than 76,000 homes and damaged nearly 154,000 additional residences.  Some 83,000 people have sought shelter in 29 evacuation centres.  And while main roads have been cleared, widespread power and communications outages continue in most of the affected areas.  The disruption of the water supply also remains a major source of concern.  On 3 December, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a state of national calamity and authorized the release of one billion Philippine pesos to fund relief and rehabilitation efforts to repair the damage sustained due to the onslaught of three successive typhoons  Xangsane, Cimarron and Durian. 

The Government has also indicated its readiness to accept assistance from the international community, identifying priority needs as: drinking water and water purifying tablets; medical teams, social workers and medicines; food; blankets and mattresses; tents and tarpaulins; and generator sets.  However, the NDCC has stated that there is no need for international search and rescue teams.  The international community is providing emergency relief assistance. 

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is considering an application for funding from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for the purchase of emergency supplies. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has dispatched emergency health supplies for 10,000 people for three months, as has provided 4,000 family packs consisting of rice, canned goods, mattresses and blankets. 

The UNICEF also led a joint United Nations inter-agency assessment mission to Albay province today. Additional cash and in-kind contributions have been provided by Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United States, as well as the Saipan Filipino community and Telecoms sans Frontières,. 

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has despatched a Field Assessment and Coordination Team (FACT) to support the Philippines Red Cross Society to assess the situation in the disaster-affected areas.

For further information, please call:  Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Kristen Knutson, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 9262; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570.  OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.