Philippines Typhoon Appeal - Final Report by Disasters Emergency Committee

Â© Brendan Paddy/DEC

2013 PHILIPPINES TYPHOON APPEAL FINAL REPORT

CONTENTS 2013 Philippines Typhoon Crisis Appeal ....................01 Background and How We Helped ...............................02 How DEC Members Performed ...................................07 Key Challenges and Lessons Learned ........................09 Key Achievements.........................................................10 Conclusion and How the DEC Works ..........................11

CONSTRUCTION

BOAT BUILDING

REBUILDING HOMES

RESTORING LIVELIHOODS

DELIVERING AID

HEALTH EDUCATION

RESTORING LIVELIHOODS

| 2013 Philippines Typhoon Appeal | 01

On 8 November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the fiercest typhoons ever to make landfall, ripped through the centre of the Philippines archipelago causing devastation on a major scale. Thousands were killed, more than four million people displaced and homes and livelihoods completely destroyed. Four days later, the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched an appeal to the British public for funds to provide aid to the 14 million people affected by the typhoon. The appeal raised £96 million, with £63 million channelled directly to the DEC and the remaining £33 million donated to DEC members. All 14 of the DEC’s member charities responded to the appeal.1

The first phase of the DEC response (November 2013 to April 2014) concentrated on getting food, water and tarpaulins for shelters to people in need. DEC member charities gave food parcels to some 475,000 people and provided housing for 165,000, including 20,000 shelter kits. With 30,000 fishing boats wrecked, 33 million coconut trees damaged and rice fields inundated, helping people to re-establish a living was also a priority. DEC members, working closely with local partners, distributed seeds and tools to more than 17,000 people, and repaired and replaced fishing boats. Cash-for-work schemes provided much-needed employment to more than 320,000 people. In the first six months, DEC member charities reached more than 1.4 million people with emergency assistance. Phase 2 of the response (May 2014 to October 2016) continued with emergency relief efforts, alongside early recovery and reconstruction to ‘build back safer’. With almost a million homes damaged or destroyed, shelter remained a priority. Shelter kits, building materials and cash eased the financial burden of repairing and rebuilding homes, and having somewhere safe to live improved families’ sense of wellbeing. The homes of more than 40,000 people were either completely or partially rebuilt, providing many families with safer homes than they had before. Seeds and tools, cash, training and other interventions

slowly helped more than 380,000 people to make a living again. Cash grants to almost 87,000 people provided start-up capital for small businesses and, as boats were repaired or replaced, many fisherfolk were able to go back to sea. In this phase of the response, DEC member charities reached more than 1.3 million people. Some highlights from the response include: • Building houses that take account of the needs of the most vulnerable. The layout of more than 350 houses was designed by a DEC member so that older people and those with physical disabilities did not need to use stairs. A separate bedroom provided much-needed privacy; and a kitchen attached to the house made cooking and other household tasks more manageable. • Helping small businesses to diversify. One DEC member worked with farmers growing seaweed, cassava and abaca to find markets with large-scale industries that use these products for processed foods, animal feeds and as raw materials for ropes. This particular project helped 135 small businesses in five provinces, 87% of which were new ventures, providing a source of income for 14,978 households. • Helping more than 1,000 young people complete training courses

in subjects ranging from electrical installation and maintenance, driving and masonry to massage therapy, bartending and computer servicing. More than half subsequently found jobs. • Recovering vital documents, such as birth certificates, without which people are unable to access healthcare or education. DEC members worked with local registry offices, restoring more than 100,000 birth certificates and encoding more than 200,000 births into a newly developed database.

PHILIPPINES

SOUTH CHINA SEA

MANILA Typho o

n Hai

yan

SULU SEA

MALAYSIA INDONESIA

Merlin was an independently registered charity and a member of the DEC in the first months of the response. The charity became part of Save the Children UK soon after the launch of the appeal and the two charities’ DEC-funded programmes in the Philippines were joined up during the typhoon response. 1

02 | Background |

BACKGROUND Located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire and Typhoon Belt, the Philippines experiences more natural disasters than almost anywhere on earth. Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) struck the Philippines on 8 November 2013 with gusts of up to 315 km/hour. Once the storm had swept on towards Vietnam, a scene of utter devastation began to emerge. More than 6,000 people had been killed and parts of the city of Tacloban had been flattened, with more than a million homes destroyed both there and in many rural and coastal communities. In total, four million people were forced to seek shelter under tarpaulins or blankets, with family and friends, or

in public buildings and governmentrun bunkhouses. In some of the poorest provinces in the Eastern and Western Visayas region, people witnessed the complete destruction of their livelihoods. Fishing boats were destroyed, crops ruined and some 33 million coconut

trees – one of the country’s biggest industries – uprooted. Major infrastructure including hospitals and schools were also severely damaged, roads blocked and power lines and communication networks brought down. In total, Haiyan affected an estimated 14 million people.2

HOW WE HELPED During the first few weeks and months, rehousing people and helping them to make a living again were the most urgent concerns, and consequently the major focus of Phase 1 of the response (November 2013 to April 2014). DEC members, working closely with local partners and the Filipino authorities, distributed seeds and tools to more than 17,000 people, repaired and replaced fishing boats and employed 320,000 people in cash-for-work schemes. Members also provided 20,000 shelter kits so that families could repair or rebuild their homes. In the first six months, member charities reached more than 1.4 million people. In the second phase (May 2014 to October 2016), the emphasis was on building more permanent homes and restoring people’s livelihoods. Almost 40,000 homes were either completely or partially rebuilt; by the end of Phase 2, more than 94,000

people had safer shelter than before. To supplement incomes, almost 87,000 people were given start-up grants or cash for small businesses; by the end of Phase 2, DEC members had helped more than 380,000 people to make a living again. In this phase of the response, DEC member charities reached more than 1.3 million people.

Shelter In the immediate aftermath of the typhoon, children whose homes had been swept away described sleeping in wet, uncomfortable evacuation centres, wearing damp clothes and being bitten by mosquitoes. Affected communities as well as local and national authorities cited shelter as one of the most urgent needs, so that people could look for work and feed their families without having to worry about finding a place to sleep.

At first, a number of DEC members gave affected people tarpaulins, which are more flexible and cost-effective than tents, and then moved on to repairing damaged houses and improving services at government-run temporary bunkhouses. DEC members also provided shelter kits, which included nails, timber, corrugated iron and tools to build a strong frame that could withstand typhoons. Cash grants helped people to hire carpenters and other skilled labour where needed.

HIGHLIGHTS •1 ,756 shelter kits were distributed (Phase 1) •4 1,100 houses were either partially or completely rebuilt (Phase 2) •1 6,870 people were given grants to repair their homes (Phase 2).

2 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), ‘The Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines’, accessed at: http://www.fao.org/emergencies/crisis/philippines-typhoon-haiyan/ intro/en/.

| How We Helped | 03

In Leyte and Iloilo, a DEC member helped families to negotiate deeds of donation with landowners for land that had been declared a safe zone, and to build new homes there. With reinforced concrete foundations and roofing made from galvanised iron sheets, these core shelters were constructed to withstand a category 3 typhoon. In all, this DEC member built 358 core shelters and distributed 926 shelter kits, helping 6,420 people.

Making a living When Typhoon Haiyan struck, thousands of people lost their main source of income, as well as everything they owned, in the space of a few hours. Farmers and fisherfolk, already among the poorest people in the country, were very badly hit. More than 865,000 farmers were affected, losing on average 74% of their standing crops and 60% of their tree crops.3 Around 145,000 fisherfolk and their families also suffered, with around 30,000 fishing boats damaged, lost or destroyed.4 One DEC member worked with farmers to make food production more economically and environmentally sustainable.Throughout its response, it helped restart 65 farmers’ associations, provided almost 4,000 pieces of farming equipment, trained close to 2,500 farmers, and set up 25 demonstration farms. These farms gave farmers the opportunity to see and taste the benefits of organic farming techniques for themselves and it has gradually led to a greater acceptance of sustainable farming practices. By the end of its DEC-funded programme, another member charity helped 1,696 farmers prepare for any future disasters by explaining the benefits of crop insurance and paying for the first year’s cover. To compensate for the loss of income from farming or fishing, a small business can be a good supplementary source of income. Sixtyfive savings and loans groups were set up by one DEC member as part of their DEC-funded programme, which gave their 1,490 members – many of them women – much-needed access to start-up capital. Some began selling fish, herbs and other goods; others set up home-based

Expenditure of funds by sector in Phase 1 (Nov 2013 – April 2014)

Livelihoods

40%

Shelter

17%

Food

15%

Household items

12%

Health & nutrition

Other

Policy & protection

Expenditure of funds by sector in Phase 2 (May 2014 – Oct 2016)

Livelihoods

42%

Shelter

34%

Water, sanitation & hygiene

Education

Policy & protection

Capacity building & training

Other

ebola

3 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, November 2013, ‘Philippines: Typhoon Haiyan, Situation Report No. 19’, accessed at: http://reliefweb.int/sites/ reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHAPhilippinesTyphoonHaiyanSitrepNo19.pdf. 4 FAO, ‘Rehabilitating the Philippine fisheries sector through sustainable fishing practices’, accessed at: http://www.fao.org/in-action/rehabilitating-the-philippinefisheries-sector-through-sustainable-fishing-practices/en/.

04 | How We Helped |

small-scale food processing. Another member helped set up 243 savings groups which, collectively, had almost £50,000 in savings accounts by January 2016.5

Cash

Finding employment for young people who might otherwise have worked on farms or fishing boats was a priority. During the second phase of the response, one DEC member helped more than 1,000 young people complete training courses in a wide range of subjects, from electrical installation and maintenance, driving, masonry and shielded metal arc welding, to massage therapy, bartending, beauty care and computer servicing. They all received toolkits or cash help. Monitoring results showed that 51% had found jobs.

HIGHLIGHTS •6 ,600 farmers were trained in farming techniques and managing small businesses (Phase 1) •1 7,200 farmers received rice seeds and tools (Phase 1) •3 80,742 people were able to make a living again (Phase 2).

Case study

At the time of the response, cash grants were already recognised as a tried-andtested approach for delivering emergency relief, enabling people to buy the things they considered essential and fostering a sense of dignity, while also giving a much-needed boost to the local economy. In Phase 1 of the DEC response, several member charities gave cash grants to meet the needs of 525,000 people, from buying materials for shelters and paying local carpenters, to getting new tools and restocking small market stalls. One DEC member gave cash to fisherfolk to buy new boats and fishing tackle, providing food for their families as well as additional income. Cash for work was also used extensively by DEC members, providing more than 320,000 people with a much-needed source of income during the first phase of the response. Where this was successful, the work contributed towards meaningful improvements, including removing debris from roads, clearing coconut farms of fallen trees and unblocking drains. During the second phase, almost 16,000 people benefitted from this scheme. One member charity, for example, paid 360 skilled and unskilled local workers to build more than 500 shelters and 400 latrines.

HIGHLIGHTS •5 25,800 people received cash grants to buy household essentials (Phase 1) •3 20,600 people were employed in cash-for-work schemes (Phase 1) •8 6,938 people were given start-up grants for small businesses (Phase 2).

Health As clinics and health posts were destroyed, many areas were left without even the most basic healthcare services. Phase 1 of the DEC response concentrated on immediate needs, including vaccinating thousands of children living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, as well as repairing health facilities for 66,000 people. Reconstruction continued in the second phase, where one DEC member repaired seven village health stations and built another three; this meant 11,290 people were able to access medical care such as immunisations, nutritional assessments, prenatal check-ups and consultations. Six health and nutrition posts were also built by the same DEC member, providing 9,319

RECOVERING WITH ORGANICS

With DEC funds, one member helped 3,472 farmers rehabilitate their devastated farms by providing training in climate-smart and diversified farming techniques, which helped yields – and incomes – recover more quickly. By the end of the DEC response, average incomes for these farmers surpassed their pre-disaster level by 5%. With the seeds and organic fertiliser that one farmer received, he was able to restore his land, plant a variety of vegetables and earn a good income within a short period of time.

“The support I got was very useful in restoring the fertility of my farm and reduced my production expenses as I did not have to buy costly synthetic inputs. . . I was also able to employ five people from our community that gave them an alternative source of income. For one cropping season, I was able to earn an income of about P40,000, which is good enough to support my family.”

British Red Cross, 2016, ‘External Evaluation of DEC-funded Livelihoods and Shelter Recovery Program in Iloilo Province’.

| How We Helped | 05

people with services such as micronutrient supplements, breastfeeding counselling and prenatal check-ups. The charity also trained community-based health workers and gave information on topics such as nutrition and sexual and reproductive health.

HIGHLIGHTS •1 93,000 people benefitted from health and nutrition projects (Phase 1) •1 06,000 women received pre- and postnatal care (Phase 1) •1 4,385 people enjoyed better health facilities (Phase 2).

Water, sanitation and hygiene In the initial few months, DEC members worked to restore water supplies, particularly in poorer areas that had been hit hard by the typhoon. By the end of Phase 1 of the response, 7,500 people were using clean water supplies. By the end of the second phase, more than 160,000 people were able to use clean water supplies. One member, working through local partners, installed 12 water systems in villages that benefitted 9,905 people in 1,919 households throughout the period of the response. Toilet blocks, with separate toilets for women and men, were equipped with solar lamps in areas where there was no electricity. Village water associations were also set up and trained to manage and maintain the facilities. Another DEC member built and repaired latrines in more than 10,000 homes, providing some families with their first-ever toilet, prompting around 40 villages to become Zero Open Defaecation-certified. By the end of the second phase of the response, newly built latrines were available to more than 52,000 people.

6 7

Policy and protection HIGHLIGHTS •3 4,500 people received advice on staying healthy after the effects of the typhoon (Phase 1) •1 60,336 people had access to clean water supplies (Phase 2).

Food and household items A critical impact when the typhoon struck was the loss of food stocks and the destruction of food crops. In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, an estimated 2.5 million people needed life-saving food assistance.6 DEC members provided food parcels to a total of 475,000 people during Phase 1 of the response, and to almost 37,000 people during the second phase, as well as cash grants for food to nearly 15,000 people. Several DEC members distributed essential household items such as bedding, mosquito nets, jerry cans and kitchen sets to allow families to return to a certain level of normality, as well as cash grants to more than half a million people during the first phase of the response. As both power-line and generator-based electricity was wiped out by the typhoon, 11,000 solar lamps were distributed during the initial six months of the DEC response, providing a much-needed source of light.

HIGHLIGHTS •4 75,000 people benefitted from food parcels (Phase 1) •1 1,000 solar lamps were distributed, benefitting 48,500 people (Phase 1) •5 2,868 people were reached with food aid (Phase 2).

The violence of Typhoon Haiyan deeply traumatised thousands of children. In the island villages of Estancia, Iloilo province, children spoke of collecting debris for firewood to supplement household income instead of going out to play. To help children cope with their distress, a DEC member set up child-friendly spaces in evacuation centres and other public areas, where children could have fun, learn and forget about the wreckage outside for a short while. “It is the only safe place for children to play, especially during the early evacuation period, and during the summer when there is no school,” said one mother in Estancia.7 DEC members worked with communities and government officials to ensure that towns and villages were better prepared for future disasters. For example, one DEC member worked closely with Ateneo University, Manila, to identify the gaps between the policy implications of the Republic Act 10121, the Philippines disaster management law, and how it is implemented at the village level.

HIGHLIGHTS •3 5,000 people (Phase 1) and 243,619 people (Phase 2) better protected.

Education A pressing concern for many people, apart from the basic needs of food and shelter, was their children’s education. In the immediate aftermath of the typhoon, schooling was disrupted as many schools were damaged or destroyed, and those left standing were used as evacuation centres. Children spoke about their fear of missing

FAO, 2013, ‘Farmers hit by Typhoon Haiyan need urgent assistance’, accessed at: http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/206856/icode/. Save the Children UK, 2015, ‘Evaluation of Humanitarian Action: Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) Response’.

06 | How We Helped |

out on their education and falling behind with their peers. With the help of several DEC member charities, schools have been repaired and rebuilt, meaning children could resume their education in a more normal environment. During Phase 2 of the response, one DEC member rebuilt 41 classrooms that had been damaged by the typhoon, using typhoon- and earthquake-resistant construction techniques and high-quality materials. It employed some of the most vulnerable members of the community as construction workers, providing them with a much-needed wage, training, and the opportunity to pass a national certificate in their newly acquired trade, thus increasing future job opportunities.

HIGHLIGHTS •2 4,000 people (Phase 1) and 68,221 people (Phase 2), including children, were reached with education and training support.

Case study

DEC member charities helped communities and authorities at local and regional levels to prepare for and better respond to natural disasters. This has reportedly given people a greater sense of security and stability so that they can redirect their efforts towards other pressing concerns. Ten municipal and 81 village disaster risk reduction management councils were either set up or reactivated by one DEC member. Corps of volunteers, rescuers, local weather forecasters and technicians were trained and a localised weather forecasting system was installed in remote and island communities, which will warn fisherfolk and farmers of dangerous impending weather systems. Communications and early warning systems were installed in the eastern and western Visayas, to alleviate the isolation of island communities. Base radio and repeater systems were set up in strategic locations and handheld radios were distributed to trained rescuers, life savers and key village officials.

Case study

PREPARING FOR THE WORST An important step towards reducing the risk from other disasters is for communities to identify their own vulnerabilities and come up with plans to mitigate them. During Phase 2 of the response, 15 villages, working with a DEC member, were trained on emergency response. They mapped out areas that were vulnerable to flood, landslide and storm surge, and then used these hazard maps to draw up evacuation plans. They set up their own early warning systems that would give villagers three days’ notice of an impending storm, and the leaders of village action teams were trained to use two-way radios. Some villages also prohibited the building of houses in identified hazard-prone areas and advised those already there to relocate.

KEEPING RECORDS

When Typhoon Haiyan swept through, it took vital documents and records with it, including birth certificates. Without legal proof of who you are, it is much more difficult to access health and education services, and for children to get legal protection. During the second phase of the response, one DEC member worked with registry offices and staff to introduce

Reducing the risk of disasters

a computerised system, restored more than 100,000 birth certificates, digitised another 180,000, and encoded more than 200,000 births into a newly developed database. “Having their documents will help the people of the community to boost their identity,” said a local official in Eastern Samar. “It is good that they have

Plan International UK, 2016, ‘Evaluation Report: DEC Project Phase 2 Typhoon Haiyan Response’.

documents that they can use throughout their lives. There are much fewer opportunities for people who do not have all their legal documentation.” This work has also provided a sustainable model for improving the registry service, enabling registrars to back up scanned copies of certificates and store them in the event of a future disaster.8

| How DEC Members Performed | 07

HOW DEC MEMBERS PERFORMED DEC member charities are committed to improving the way in which they respond to crises, working closely with and for local communities, including vulnerable people, and following international standards on delivering aid. Innovation One DEC member helped womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s groups, cooperatives and other community organisations to restart or diversify their businesses by moving from a commodityoriented approach to one more geared to the market. This required a fundamental mind-shift and, as well as an injection of capital, the charity provided all-important technical and business training so that producers could improve quality and market their products. In all, the project helped 135 small businesses in five provinces, 87% of which were new ventures, and benefitted 14,978 households. The businesses ranged from cassava and rice production to renting out farm equipment and milling rice. Farmers growing seaweed, cassava and abaca found markets with large-scale industries that use these products for processed foods, animal feeds and as raw material for ropes.

to spring into action within hours of the typhoon making landfall. Local knowledge and a strong understanding of the context also helped members to provide an appropriate, locally driven response. One DEC member worked through local partners to install 12 water systems that reached 1,919 households. An evaluation put the success of this work down to its

Total allocation of DEC funds to member charities (ÂŁ) All 14 of the DEC member charities responded9

ActionAid UK Age International British Red Cross CAFOD

Another DEC member helped 3,750 fisherfolk living on small islands in Iloilo province to set up solar-powered charging stations to recharge their motorboat batteries. This cut down on expenses as well as the time needed to travel to the mainland to get batteries charged. Solar-powered refrigerators now provide ice cubes to keep the catch fresh and so command higher prices at the market; and 250 fisherfolk are using solar-powered lights to patrol their fishing grounds after dark.

CARE International UK Christian Aid Concern Worldwide UK Islamic Relief Worldwide Merlin Oxfam GB Plan International UK

Working in partnership The Philippines comprises a skilled and experienced civil society and several DEC members had relationships with partners established over years of working on development issues. This allowed them

partnership approach, which was crucial to clearly identifying the need, selecting the right communities, and designing activities that were attuned to the actual situation of affected people. The commitment, competence and creativity of local partners, and their long-established links with communities, were felt to have played a major role in creating measurable results.

Save the Children UK Tearfund World Vision UK 0

2,000,000

4,000,000

6,000,000

8,000,000

10,000,000

12,000,000

14,000,000

Merlin was an independently registered charity and a member of the DEC in the first months of the response. The charity became part of Save the Children UK soon after the launch of the appeal and the two charitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DEC-funded programmes in the Philippines were joined up during the typhoon response. 9

08 | How DEC Members Performed |

Another DEC member developed a particularly strong partnership with a local NGO that delivered services to older people. For the local partner, responding to the biggest natural disaster in the Philippines was very challenging; and while the DEC member did have the necessary experience and technical capacity, it did not want to respond directly on the ground as it had worked through this local partner for 25 years. There were challenges in developing a joint way of working, but this collaboration meant the programme achieved many of its objectives, including providing geriatric care for more than 11,000 older people; and the partner benefitted enormously from the DEC member’s technical expertise, improving its organisational and management skills along the way.

Inclusion of people with special needs DEC members focused their support on the most vulnerable – women, children, older people, people living with disabilities, single mothers and child-headed households. Local communities were actively involved in identifying the most vulnerable and lists of those who could potentially be targeted for assistance were often published in village halls. DEC members and their partners used sex- and age-disaggregated data to analyse local needs and to design or adjust interventions. For example, the layout of more than 350 houses – built as part of one member’s response – was designed so that older people and those with physical disabilities did not need to use stairs. A separate bedroom provided much-needed privacy, and a kitchen attached to the house made cooking and other household tasks easier. In Phase 1, one DEC member worked hard to include a wide cross-section of the whole community in its projects, including older people, who reported finding the process very valuable. As many older people said they were fit enough to work, they were included in cash-for-work programmes, and where the work was too arduous, they were given less physical tasks, such as timekeeping. During the second phase of the response, one DEC member worked with more than 3,600 women to ensure they were aware

of domestic laws that protect their rights in emergencies. Studies showed that, after working with this DEC charity, women were more open to share their experiences on gender-based violence and to seek redress. Another DEC member charity made sure that the five schools it helped to repair in central Visayas were accessible to people with disabilities. At least one classroom, one toilet and one handwashing facility are now wheelchair-accessible in all five schools, and door knobs and electrical switches have been fixed at an appropriate height.

Capacity development For communities to be able to spring back from a disaster situation, they need to be able to rely on a reserve of skills and resources. DEC members provided training in many areas; and much of their work on disaster preparedness concentrated on equipping local people and authorities with the skills to identify risks and develop strategies to minimise them. Acquiring technical expertise has given people an important buffer against unexpected shocks, enabling them to diversify their income or make existing businesses more profitable. For example, working with one DEC member during Phase 2 of the response, farmers developed a steady supply of affordable organic fertiliser using vermi-composting, and those raising chickens learned how to reduce mortality rates among their stock. The charity also helped mat weavers to increase production and improve their designs by examining the market and learning the advantage of branding their products. Some farmers were able to move into new areas. With help from a DEC member during Phase 2 of the response, four farmers’ associations were able to write funding proposals – one for making cassava chips, another to buy farm equipment – and their projects have now gone ahead.

Accountability to communities and adherence to sector standards DEC members are committed to established quality standards, including the Code of Conduct for the International

Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief, the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability and the Sphere Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response. DEC members made sure that local partners and communities participated as much as possible from the very beginning, when programmes were being designed, and worked hard to be accountable to them. For example, before a boat repair project began, one member held community meetings in each village, where every area of the project was discussed and agreed. This ranged from how individuals were selected to be part of the project to the contents of the boat repair kits. At the end of the process, each person was given a voucher explaining what he or she was entitled to and, according to a survey, 73% of respondents said that they knew exactly what they would receive from the outset. Another DEC member found that local people were hesitant about giving feedback or raising complaints about the response, partners tried different approaches, such as sitting down with local people to discuss the progress of the work, identify problem areas, and come up with suggestions to rectify them. Not only did this produce effective solutions, it also helped to build trust and gave the community a greater sense of ownership. In the Philippines Typhoon response, the main challenges in meeting Sphere Standards were in terms of shelter. With a shift to providing shelter kits rather than transitional shelters, such as the shed-like structures that featured strongly in the Haiti earthquake response, DEC members gave affected families far greater autonomy in rebuilding their homes in accordance with individual household needs. However, while attempts were made to ensure people were using techniques to build back safer housing, it was impossible to enforce sector shelter standards in every case.

| Key Challenges | 09

KEY CHALLENGES To deliver context-appropriate support and ensure that results could be sustained over time, DEC members involved as many local people and organisations as possible in their programmes. This also brought challenges, as it can be difficult to coordinate between different groups, individuals and local authorities who might not be used to working together. During Phase 2 of the response, one DEC member relied on local volunteers to deliver a project, which, on the one hand, meant it was more likely to be owned in the local community, but on the other, made it difficult and timelines had to be flexible. Innovative approaches can also be as challenging as they are rewarding. One DEC member took a market-based approach to delivering water and sanitation to affected areas, involving more private sector groups so that communities didn’t have to rely on the Government alone. This way of working is fairly new to the charity, so it was also

learning by doing, but regular feedback sessions during the lifetime of the project helped it to take stock of experiences that emerged. An obstacle encountered by most DEC members was that of supply, of both materials and expertise. For one member, a lack of good-quality coco lumber, marine plywood and corrugated iron meant the construction of shelters was delayed, and a shortage of septic tanks held up the building of new latrines. This experience has prompted the charity to learn how to improve its supply chain processes, to be more proactive in identifying

suppliers, and to think through and adjust its internal structures. Given the geographical isolation of island communities, it is not surprising that DEC members found communication and transportation an issue. Such communities could only be reached by boat, which posed risks during bad weather, and meant costs for building materials and other supplies were high. One member’s local partners also raised concerns about the environmental cost and highlighted the need for protocols to guide procurement and to reduce energy expense and carbon footprints.

LESSONS LEARNED Evaluations of DEC members’ work have thrown up some important recommendations which have been addressed throughout the response. A 2014 review of the initial DEC response advised members to further ensure that communities are in the driving seat when it comes to prioritising needs, and to share reviews and plans locally. Feedback from local people suggested that DEC members organised village meetings and involved communities, for example in selecting the most vulnerable for assistance. The review also stressed the importance of working closely

with national and local government, and helping to develop their expertise where necessary. Many charities delivered their work through local government units, providing training and support as needed. On providing shelter, the review suggested DEC members should invest in reconstruction by training carpenters, builders and plumbers; as a result, in the second phase of the response, 100 carpenters were trained. Another study, citing the work of a DEC member’s partner organisation,

suggested that constructing shelters should not be seen as a stand-alone project, but rather a way of creating a sustainable household, by introducing other key elements at the same time, such as water and sanitation, and small-scale food production. While shelters were being built, families could be introduced to bio-intensive gardening as a source of essential food, and learn about environmentally friendly rubbish and waste disposal to safeguard clean water supplies.

10 | Key Achievements |

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS These are some of the key achievements of DEC member charities in the 2013 Philippines Typhoon response. Some double counting of beneficiary numbers across member charities may occur when different types of activities took place at the same location. Sector

Phase 1

Phase 2

Food

475,000

36,946

people were reached with food parcels

14,807

people were reached with cash grants to meet their basic food needs

Water and sanitation

7,500

160,336

families received hygiene kits

9,750 34,500

Health and nutrition

66,000

22,129

people benefitted from activities promoting hygiene in emergency situations

52,820

people had access to newly built latrines

45,886

people benefitted from cash grants for latrines and subsidies for clean water supplies

14,385

people had access to repaired health facilities women received pre/postnatal care

106,000 Livelihoods

320,600

15,845

farmers were trained in agricultural techniques or managing small businesses

6,600 86,938

people received cash start-up grants or cash for small businesses people were supported with unconditional cash grants

525,800

people benefitted from solar lamps that were distributed

48,500 Shelter

people were employed in cash-for-work schemes people received rice seeds and farming tools

17,200

Household items

people benefitted from access to clean water supplies

20,000

1,756

300

100

shelter kits were distributed carpenters were trained in disaster risk reduction construction techniques

17,288

people live in safer houses that had to be completely rebuilt

23,812

people live in safer houses that had to be partially rebuilt

16,870

people received conditional cash grants for household repair/reconstruction incorporating disaster risk reduction techniques

| Conclusion | 11

CONCLUSION Typhoon Haiyan was the strongest storm ever to make landfall. Affected areas were inundated within minutes; in the city of Tacloban, water levels rose to 5.2 metres and travelled 600 metres inland, causing massive damage. Agricultural land and fishing grounds were destroyed, a huge blow to areas where farming and fishing make up 80% of people’s livelihoods. Residents described strong winds smashing windows and blowing off roofs. DEC members mobilised quickly, providing food parcels for 475,000 people during the first six months of the response, as well as housing for 165,000, including 20,000 shelter kits, and cash grants for more than half a million people to buy essential household supplies. With livelihoods devastated, cash-for-work schemes provided more than 320,000 people with a vital source of income. During the second phase of the DEC response, the homes of more than 40,000 people were completely or partially rebuilt, providing some families with much safer, stronger houses than before. Almost 87,000 people received cash grants to help them start up – or restart – small businesses, so they are not completely dependent on farming or fishing. And to minimise the impact of any future natural disasters, DEC members worked closely with local communities and local and regional governments to prepare disaster risk reduction plans. The response by DEC members helped the people of the Philippines both to recover as quickly as possible, and also to become more resilient and better prepared to face future natural disasters.

HOW THE DEC WORKS The DEC makes sure that the generous donations of the UK public are spent on emergency aid needed by communities devastated by humanitarian crises, as well as on longer-term support to rebuild the lives of people in these communities. Donating through the DEC is simple and effective. It removes unnecessary competition for funding between aid charities and reduces administration costs. The DEC spent 4.6% of the money raised in the 2013 Philippines Typhoon Appeal on fundraising and administration costs, with the rest distributed to members to carry out their vital humanitarian work. A team of 18 staff manages the DEC’s day-to-day operations, supported by a small team of dedicated volunteers.

REBUILDING HOMES

CASH FOR WORK

DELIVERING AID

FOOD VOUCHERS

DISASTERS EMERGENCY COMMITTEE Ground Floor 43 Chalton Street London NW1 1DU Tel: 020 7387 0200 www.dec.org.uk Published March 2017 Registered Charity No. 1062638