Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines - Livelihoods and Education - Save the Children Canada 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 DFATD’s support Save the Children Canada is helping up to 12 500 people affected by Typhoon Haiyan on Panay Island by providing emergency assistance in education and helping people to earn a living. Project activities include: (1) providing unconditional cash transfers to 1 000 vulnerable families; (2) providing cash and in-kind support to 1 000 fishing families to rehabilitate marine livelihoods such as mangroves artificial reefs and fish aggregating devices (objects used to attract fish); (3) providing training to 1 000 fishing households on environmentally-friendly fishing practices; (4) providing training and cash support to ten committees to undertake community-led recovery projects; (5) rehabilitating learning spaces for 4 800 primary school children and 600 daycare children; (6) providing cash-for-work for 140 people to rehabilitate ten schools ten daycare centres and to build temporary learning spaces; (7) constructing water and sanitation facilities at refurbished learning spaces; (8) providing school supplies for elementary schools and daycare centres in ten communities; (9) providing training to 80 school teachers and ten daycare teachers; and (10) providing training on child protection issues and disaster-risk reduction tools to 90 teachers and 2 000 parents and caregivers.

The expected immediate outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to livelihoods to allow people to meet their basic needs; and (2) increased access to educational facilities and quality emergency educational services. The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.