Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines - Shelter and Protection Services - UNHCR 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 more resilient. With DFATD’s support the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) is helping up to 300 000 people affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines by providing essential household items and protection services. The project focuses on people with specific needs such as women children and indigenous people and people at risk of violence. Project activities include: (1) providing emergency shelter items such as tarpaulins and tents; (2) providing essential household items such as solar lanterns kitchen sets and jerry cans; (3) tracking and monitoring the displacement of affected people; (4) tracking and monitoring the protection needs of people affected by the typhoon such as the risk of sexual and gender-based violence and trafficking and the specific needs of indigenous communities; (5) supporting community-based projects on issues such as legal assistance on housing and land and property issues; (6) assisting the government to issue birth certificates and identity documents; (7) providing training and guidance to the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces on topics such as human rights and internal displacement; and (8) providing technical assistance to the Philippine National Police to help them deploy large numbers of female police officers to affected areas to provide better protection for women and children.

The expected immediate outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to safe adequate and durable shelters; (2) increased access to essential household items; (3) improved identification of people with special needs (including female-headed households children the elderly and indigenous communities) in order to appropriately address their needs; (4) improved ability of municipalities to restore their functioning capacity including issuing birth certificates to people in affected communities; (5) improved understanding on the part of government authorities of human rights principles related to emergencies; and (6) improved access to women and children-sensitive police services. The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.