Period covered by this update: 12 September to 9 October 2012
Appeal target (current): CHF 1,772,243
Appeal coverage: With contributions received to date, the appeal is 65 per cent covered in cash and kind, with more contributions in the pipeline. Further contributions are needed to meet the needs of affected families.
Appeal history:
An emergency appeal issued on 31 August 2012 seeking CHF 1,772,243 to assist 20,000 families (100,000 persons) for seven months
Initially, the appeal was launched on a preliminary basis on 9 August 2012 for CHF 922,700 to assist 15,000 families (75,000 people) in five months
CHF 180,837 was advanced from the IFRC Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 9 August 2012 to initiate distributions and to support assessments.
Summary: Starting early August 2012, the Philippines experienced a massive flooding due to non-stop rains brought by southwest monsoon. The floods affected more than four million people, displaced 500,000 others, and damaged or destroyed more than 14,000 houses. Two months after the launch of an emergency appeal operation to respond to needs wrought by the floods, Philippine Red Cross (PRC) continues to provide assistance to affected families. As well as the assistance provided through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), PRC is being supported in its efforts by German Red Cross, The Netherlands Red Cross and Spanish Red Cross.
Distribution of food and non-food relief items has largely been completed, and a post-distribution survey is underway. Based on continuous monitoring by respective PRC chapters, an additional 900 families were identified to be in need of relief assistance, and were provided with both food and non-food packages. This brings the total number of families supported with food and non-food items under this operation to 15,900, exceeding the 15,000 target. Nevertheless, distribution of hygiene kits is yet to be fully completed, with 9,000 of the targeted 10,000 families having received the kits as of this reporting period. The remaining distributions will be completed by end of October 2012. Real-time needs assessments are ongoing to identify families in need of relief, specifically in areas along Laguna Bay that remain flooded and where needs still exist.
Water and sanitation assistance provided under this operation has included distribution of safe drinking water to families in need and community sanitation initiatives. In this regard, a total of 305,000 litres have been distributed to some 4,500 families in three evacuation centres since the start of the operation. Water trucking has been discontinued and focus has turned to supporting schools and facilities currently serving as evacuation centres to shoulder increased water bills owing to the influx of evacuees. Delivery of water assistance is being done in partnership with Spanish Red Cross. Community sanitation initiatives conducted thus far have entailed cleaning campaigns, de-clogging and improvement of blocked drainages and distribution of cleaning kits to targeted evacuation centres. In addition to mobilizing Red Cross volunteers to undertake community cleaning campaigns, some 840 community members were engaged to undertake de-clogging of blocked drainages using the cash-forwork modality. Community sanitation activities are being implemented in partnership with German Red Cross.
Additionally, during the reporting period, IFRC’s field delegate and water and sanitation engineer have started supporting PRC in undertaking specific, detailed assessments to identify schools to be assisted with construction or rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities.
In preparation for early recovery interventions, a household economic security (HES) delegate seconded by British Red Cross arrived in-country during the first week of October and is currently on the ground facilitating detailed assessments to determine the specific assistance that will be provided in selected localities of Laguna and Rizal provinces. The delegate will also support the development of a plan of action for early recovery support using cash-based programming as well as procedures for cash-based programming in relief. This preparatory work will enable PRC to deliver cash grants effectively for beneficiaries to recoup lost assets, re-start disrupted livelihoods activities or to obtain safer shelter solutions through rental in areas not prone to flooding.
To date, contributions to the emergency appeal have been received from Red Cross Red Crescent partners, government partners and institutional donors. as Apart from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection (DG-ECHO), others who have contributed are American Red Cross, Canadian Red Cross Society/Canadian government, Danish Red Cross/Danish government, Finnish Red Cross, Japanese Red Cross Society, The Netherlands Red Cross/Netherlands government, Republic of Korea National Red Cross, Swedish Red Cross/Swedish government, Swiss Red Cross and World Health Organization (WHO) staff Voluntary Emergency Relief Fund (VERF).
On behalf of PRC, IFRC would like to thank all partners/donors for their generous and invaluable contributions to this appeal. Further contributions are needed and encouraged to enable PRC to meet both relief and early recovery needs of flood-affected families.