6 MONTHS AFTER YOLANDA | Some progress, but livelihood, aid sorely lacking – UN

MANILA, Philippines — Half a year since super typhoon Yolanda swept through the central Philippines, the United Nations noted some progress in improving he situation for survivors but said the provision of aid and livelihood to devastated communities remains sorely lacking.

“A lot has been accomplished by the Philippines even if much needs to be done given the enormity of the task at hand. However, we are still wary of the gaps in aid provision of which, shelter and livelihood remain outstanding needs,” Bernard Kerblat, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to the Philippines, said in a statement.

Earlier, the humanitarian organization Oxfam reported that 200,000 Yolanda survivors need jobs and livelihood but that these were not part of the government’s relocation program.

Kerblat attributed the progress to close coordination between government humanitarian aid agencies and the “remarkable resilience” of the Filipino people, noting that in the wake of the disaster, there was no famine, no outbreaks of disease and no secondary major displacement.

With the work shifting from relief to rebuilding, the UNHCR is trying to find longer-term “durable” solutions for the plight of people and the environment.

The UNHCR, which co-leads the protection cluster in the Philippines with the Department of Social Welfare and Development, is working to protect the most vulnerable of Yolanda’s victims — children, women and girls, persons with disability, the elderly, indigenous people in remote areas, and internally displaced persons.

The agency and the government have facilitated the capacity development of security agencies, civilian authorities and service providers on the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, child protection, sexual and gender-based violence, and human trafficking.

They also provided training on protection cluster coordination and leadership for staff of the Commission on Human Rights and DSWD, and local government authorities.

Kerblat said they focused on these areas because Yolanda paralyzed the operations of most affected local government units, reducing their capacity to respond to people.

The UN official said the commemoration of the sixth month since the storm is “is a tribute to the positive spirit and resilience of survivors” who continue to weather the impacts of Yolanda.

“In the end, this is about the people and the disaster response should always be geared towards informing them. Any intervention given to them should be a direct consequence of proper consultation with the government and the people it serves,” Kerblat said.

The UNHCR has assisted over 600,000 persons with specific needs by providing some 10,000 tents, 100,000 plastic sheets, 88,000 blankets, 14,000 kitchen sets, 33,000 jerry cans, and 19,000 solar lanterns.

It also worked to improve physical security of persons with specific vulnerabilities and conducted outreach to remote communities, promoting child protection and prevention of gender-based violence.

It also distributed donations from private corporations, including 500 chainsaws from Huqsvarna, 800,00 items from UNIQLO, 500 gumboots and over 2,000 mattresses and bedspreads from Ikea, to affected communities and local NGO partners.

UNHCR also initiated, in consultation with the government, a free mobile civil registration project in 20 of the most affected municipalities. The documentation project aimed to reconstruct, register and issue civil records and legal documents to affected population, which would allow them to continue to access state welfare, education, and employment.

This initiative is backed by the United Nations Development Program, United Nations Children’s Fund, International Organization for Migration, and international and local NGOs.

Launched in April, this program was able to issue vital civil documentation such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates to at least 43,000 persons-of-concern. –Likha Cuevas-Miel, InterAksyon.com