MANILA – Up to 200,000 survivors of last November’s deadly typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) are at risk of worsening poverty due to government relocation plans that have not factored in how they will later earn a living, the United Kingdom-based humanitarian organization Oxfam said.
In its report “The Right Move? Ensuring durable relocation after typhoon Haiyan,” the international aid agency said that survivors’ top priority is earning an income, yet the government is planning to move 200,000 people, mostly fisherfolk, laborers, and vendors, away from the coast without integrating job opportunities into its relocation plans.
The findings are based on a survey Oxfam conducted with communities from areas deemed potentially “unsafe” by the government and targeted for post-Yolanda relocation in Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Cebu provinces.
Almost half (49 percent) of the 453 people surveyed said that earning an income through their current or a new job should be the most important consideration for relocation planning. The next greatest concern was safety, for 32 percent of people.
Where’s ‘build back better’?
Justin Morgan, Oxfam’s country director in the Philippines, said: “The government has committed to the principle of ‘building back better’ but it has yet to prove that through its relocation efforts. Relocation is not only about houses it’s also about jobs, safety, transport. These cannot be afterthoughts.”
“Millions of pesos will be spent on relocation. If this process is not done well — everyone loses. Families are being forced to choose between safety and putting food on the table. The government also risks wasting valuable funds that could really make a difference to the lives of poor people.”
Oxfam said thatin some places relocation sites are up to 15 kilometers away from people’s current homes. Several families in Leyte told Oxfam they had decided not to relocate because transport costs were too expensive from their new homes back to the coast where they work. While many people are afraid to stay near the sea and worry about the safety of their families, they need to be able to earn money.
No government consultations
Oxfam’s report showed that only seven percent of people were consulted or informed about relocation plans by a government official.
Worryingly, 81 percent said they didn’t know their rights around relocation and one in three people said they were accepting relocation because they felt they had no choice, the aid agency said. Half of the people said they didn’t know where they were moving to.
The government’s vaguely defined policy on “unsafe” areas (previously referred to as “No Build Zones”) is causing confusion among communities and needs to be clarified and communicated urgently, Oxfam said.
Morgan said: “The government has a constitutional obligation to consult communities about every detail of their relocation. Consultations are crucial for authorities to understand people’s priorities. Previous disaster responses have shown that when people aren’t consulted, plans don’t match their needs and they will either leave the relocated areas or become poorer.”
Yolanda devastated the livelihoods of six million workers, as 33 million coconut trees were destroyed in Eastern Visayas, one million tons of crops lost, and 30,000 fishing boats damaged or destroyed. –InterAksyon.com
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