Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines - Emergency Assistance for Displaced People - IOM 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 International Organization for Migration (IOM) is helping up to 2.2 million people affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. This project assists displaced people in evacuation centres and temporary settlements as well as those who have returned or are planning to return to their places of origin. Project activities include: (1) providing displaced people with essential referrals to humanitarian assistance organizations helping people with food assistance health and livelihoods opportunities; (2) providing technical assistance to the government authorities on the management of evacuation centres and displacement tracking tools that help provide a clear understanding of the changing location vulnerabilities and needs of typhoon-affected people; (3) providing emergency kits to help people rebuild their shelters; (4) providing essential household items; (5) providing emergency medical supplies medicines generators; (6) providing additional health workers for health facilities assisting displaced people; and (7) providing anti-trafficking and sexual and gender-based violence training to government authorities and service providers working at evacuation sites or transit sites (such as ports airports bus stations) who may come in contact with populations at risk of being trafficked.

The expected immediate outcomes for this project include: (1) increased access to basic services; (2) improved government ability to manage evacuation sites and to track displacement; (3) increased access to safe adequate and durable shelters; (4) increased access to essential household items; (5) increased access to basic health care; and (6) improved ability of government authorities and service providers to respond to immediate protection concerns such as trafficking and sexual and gender-based violence. The expected intermediate outcome is reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.