Philippines Typhoon Hagupit
8 December 2014 – As Typhoon Hagupit continues to sweep across the Philippines, United Nations agencies are quickly responding to the needs of the local population by providing critical life-saving supplies. The Organization also commended the Filipino Government for its swift and efficient first-response efforts which saved many lives. An estimated 1 million people remain in 687 evacuation centres throughout the country. There are still almost a million people – many still recovering from Haiyan – who have been driven from their homes.
UNICEF’s Tacloban office, established after Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the nation in November 2013, activated its emergency response plan last week. Among the most pressing threats to health were poor sanitation and unclean water meaning that a restoration of existing water sources is a top priority.
The agency added that it had strategically prepositioned supplies in warehouses in Tacloban, Manila and Cotabato, including water kits, hygiene kits, water pumps, generators, water storage and treatment facilities as well as nutritional therapeutic food items to combat malnutrition, oral rehydration salts and tarpaulins power for at least 12,000 families.
UN relief agencies prepare emergency response