A troubled history of armed conflict between the Philippines government and various militant groups has uprooted millions of people from their homes during the past four decades. While a climate of peace has prevailed during the past five years, huge inequities remain between the wealthy and extremely poor.
Communities in the Philippines are highly vulnerable to recurring natural disasters, such as typhoons, tsunamis, droughts and floods. In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms to ever hit land, struck the Philippines, leaving hundreds of thousands of families homeless and without food or safe drinking water. A year later, Typhoon Hagupit threatened the same areas of the Philippines and saw 700,000 people evacuated from their homes.
The situation has improved significantly for affected communities, but there is still a long way to go to help families rebuild their lives post-Haiyan for the long-term. It is estimated that full recovery could take up to a decade.
We have worked in the Philippines since 2000, helping families affected by natural disasters or displaced by conflict rebuild their lives.
When typhoon Haiyan struck, for example, our teams immediately responded. During the first weeks, we sent 12 aircraft with 250 tons of critical emergency supplies to more than half a million people.
Treating and preventing malnutrition: we are screening and treating children under five for malnutrition, supporting pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and strengthening the capacity of government agencies to fight malnutrition.
Recovering livelihoods: we are supporting local markets, facilitating cash transfers, and providing vouchers for the most vulnerable families so they can purchase materials for rebuilding their homes and livelihoods.
Providing access to safe water and sanitation: we are installing water points, repairing sanitation networks, and training the communities to maintain them.
Providing disaster risk management: our interventions always include a disaster prevention component so that families are in a better position to face future disasters.