Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines - Protection Services for Women and Girls - UNFPA 2014

February 2014 - On November 8 2013 Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) made landfall in the Philippines a densely populated country of 92 million people. The category five typhoon killed over 6 000 Filipinos caused 4 million people to be displaced from their homes and caused severe damage to infrastructure including homes roads schools and health centres. Although many people have already received life-saving humanitarian assistance significant humanitarian needs remain including early recovery activities that contribute to building communities that are more resilient. With the support of DFATD and other donors the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is helping up to 3.7 million women and girls of childbearing-age affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. The project provides reproductive health services and works to prevent and manage sexual and gender-based violence. Project activities include: (1) providing a wide range of services for survivors of gender-based violence such as safe-havens shelters sexual assault investigation kits in hospitals and accessible health facilities that are able to do the clinical management of rape; (2) providing psychosocial support to adolescent girls; (3) establishing women-friendly spaces in temporary shelters; (4) establishing protection mechanisms that aim to improve collaboration and referral among different players to prevent and reduce gender-based violence; (5) providing emergency safe delivery kits including the most basic essentials to prevent fatal infections during childbirth; (6) providing hygiene kits; (7) providing reproductive health outreach services for women and girls who do not have access to health facilities; (8) providing training to health providers on sexual and reproductive health; and (9) rehabilitating sexual and reproductive health infrastructure such as maternity wards at hospitals and health clinics.

The expected immediate outcomes for this project include: (1) improved sexual and reproductive health; and (2) improved access to services addressing sexual and gender-based violence. The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.