Rapid Response Payment Request No. 17/08

Funds Sent To: Christian Aid; National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)

Amount Sent:

- Christian Aid: US$ 25,000

- NCCP: US$ 25,000

Date: 30 June 2008

Details of Response

Emergency: Typhoon Fengshen

Date of Emergency: 21/22 June 2008

Implementing Members:

- Christian Aid (with partners LRC and Sibuyan ISLE)

- National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP)

DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY: Typhoon Fengshen battered the Philippines for two days, sweeping across the Philippine archipelago with maximum winds of 120 km per hour and gusts of up to 150 km per hour. The typhoon left at least 229 people dead with more than 700 people still missing after a passenger ferry capsized off the coast of Sibuyan Island in Romblon.

As of 6 am local time, June 22, 2008, the regions of IV-B, V, VI, VIII, IX, XII and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have been most impacted by the typhoon with 366,444 persons affected, reports the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC). Region IV, particularly the provinces of Iloilo, Negros, Occidental, Capiz, and possibly Romblon bore the brunt of the damage with more than half of the total displaced persons.

Houses, property and agricultural lands were damaged in one of the country's major rice and food producing regions. Farming communities were completing or had just completed the planting season in the midst of a current rice crisis.

With major communication lines down and because the affected areas are islands of a considerable distance from the country's capital, gathering reports and sending immediate relief assistance could be a challenge.

The final report of the Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) reports that the Typhoon affected 1,894 villages, 207 municipalities and 38 cities in 38 provinces. Of this, Iloilo Province which experienced unprecedented flooding had the most number of affected families owning close to a third of the total. It is followed by Quezon Province, La Union and then Leyte Province.

ACTIONS TO DATE, AND EMERGENCY NEEDS:

Christian Aid:

Initial assessments on the emergency needs were conducted as follows:

1. Sibuyan: as there was no access to the island immediately after the typhoon, an assessment was pieced together from information received from Manila-based on the information provided by the members of Sibuyan ISLE from the field.

2. Iloilo Province: Christian Aid with partner PRDCI conducted on site rapid assessment in Iloilo City and January town to identify needs and develop the appropriate response.

A stark discovery for Christian Aid is that damage in certain small islands do not seem to figure in the national tallies. The reports that reached the NDCC covered main islands, which had access to major communication sites and airports. There was very little information on the state of small islands. One such island is Sibuyan, part of Romblon province which lies in between the big northern island of Luzon and the central region of the Visayas. Here, up to 75% of the island's population is affected and up to 90% of coastal structures washed away by surging seas and swelling rivers.

NCCP: The NCCP secretariat, partners in the regional ecumenical councils and member churches particularly the Convention of Philippine Baptist Churches (CPBC), United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and The Salvation Army (TSA) are conducting damage and needs assessment in communities severely affected. Many of the church structures of NCCP member churches are used being used as evacuation centres.

Region VI-Western Visayas is one of the worst hit area, with around 210,000 affected families. Most of Iloilo City and large portions of Antique, Aklan and Capiz are still underwater with no electricity and thousands of people still in evacuation centers. Houses were completely or partially damaged, most of the farms have been covered with mud, with crops totally destroyed. Iloilo Governor Neil Tupas declared the province under a state of calamity and appealed for food, medicine and clothing. 20,000 families have found refuge in 57 evacuation centers. To this number must be added the families who have sought refuge in the churches.

International Response

Various countries including the USA and Japan have send divers, helicopters and ships to help the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard and other government agencies in retrieving people and possible survivors from more than 800 people reported aboard the sunken ferry MV Princess of the Stars. Likewise, government agencies involved in relief operations as well as international and local relief agencies, churches and other similar agencies have started their assessment process and are planning for relief assistance. While national government, red cross and local Church groups have responded to the needs of the affected communities, many families are in need of basic assistance.

PROPOSED EMERGENCY RESPONSE: CHRISTIAN AID

- OBJECTIVE(S) OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE: Poor communities affected by Typhoon Fengshen in Sibuyan Island are able to cope and recover from the impact of the disaster

- TARGET POPULATIONS: Target beneficiaries will comprise of poor farming and fishing 1,500 households and urban poor in most the affected villages of San Fernando, Magdiwang, Cajidiocan in Sibuyan, Islands in Romblon Province. Out of the total beneficiaries, 60% of them are women or female headed households. This location has been identified on the needs assessment carried out by CA staff. It has been observed this is one of the most affected and inaccessible islands.

- PROPOSED ASSISTANCE:

Food Distribution: Families will receive the following: rice, canned goods, noodles, dried fish, sweet yam, sugar, milk, salt, cooking oil

Non Food items: Tumblers, Spoons, Toothpaste, Toothbrush Bath soap, Laundry soap, Paracetamol, adult Paracetamol, kids Loperamide, Orisol, Carbocistein, Betadine, Cotton and Sanitary Napkin

- IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS: Christian Aid will be responsible for the implementation of this programme. With the support of Christian Aid, LRC and Sibuyan ISLE will manage and coordinate actual relief effort on the ground to include identification and validation of beneficiaries, setting up and managing the relief centre, coordination with local authorities and other relief organizations and distribution of relief goods. MoU will be signed with both partners. Christian Aid staff in the Philippines will be also involved in the direct monitoring and management of the programme.

- COORDINATION: Christian Aid staff are in contact with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP). As part of this, efforts are made not to duplicate the relief interventions. There are also plans to co-ordinate with other agencies, especially the government and other INGOs.

At the national level, Christian Aid has already contacted the national food warehouse authorities to buy rice at competitive price and to transport them to the Sibuyan island. Coordination will be established also with the local doctors and government health authorities to provide necessary treatments for the sick people and to address the health needs of the community members.

- COMMUNICATIONS: Christian Aid does not have a communicator in the Philippine however there is constant communication with the London Office, including Christian Aid communicator for the region, who in turn will be in contact with the ACT CO communication team.

- PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: It is planned to complete the relief programme within one month. It is being explored to develop a full appeal within couple of weeks, once the situation is clearer.

PROPOSED EMERGENCY RESPONSE: NCCP

- OBJECTIVE(S) OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE:

To provide relief assistance to at least 2,000 families severely affected by the typhoon. Assistance shall comprise of food packs, medicines, clothing, hygiene kit, light blanket and temporary shelter.

- TARGET POPULATIONS: The emergency response is mainly directed to areas hardly hit by the typhoon particularly in Region VI-Western Visayas (Iloilo and Antique). Beneficiaries are composed of urban poor and poor peasant families whose houses were totally or partially damaged, whose farms and sources of livelihood were damaged and lack the capacity to immediately recover from the devastation. Assistance will be provided to at least 2,000 families in Region 6- Western Visayas (Iloilo, Antique, and Guimaras). Special attention will also be given to women especially those pregnant, lactating or those with special needs.

- PROPOSED ASSISTANCE:

Food Relief Assistance: The assistance comprises of distribution of food bags which include: rice (8kg/family), canned goods (3pcs./bag), cooking oil (1 pint/bag), dried fish (1/4 kilo/bag), sugar (1/2 kilo/bag), legumes (1/2 kilo/bag)

Non Food items: Sleeping paraphernalia, water containers, clothing, and hygiene kits will be distributed to the families. Other food items will also be provided to those needing special food or nutritional requirements especially the women and children. Temporary Shelter, in the form of canvass tent, will be provided to the most needy families.

- IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS: The relief distribution will be implemented through the Disaster Response Committee organized by the NCCP member churches in Iloilo and Antique and the Western Visayas Ecumenical Council. The NCCP secretariat will assist the Committee and oversee the implementation (assessment, procurement, warehousing, distribution, monitoring etc.) of the emergency assistance.

- COORDINATION: NCCP as a registered and accredited agency by the Department of Social Welfare and Development coordinates with the regional, provincial and municipal disaster coordinating councils in the affected areas. It will also work closely with Christian Aid and other NGOs providing humanitarian assistance in the affected areas to identify areas of operation and complementation of services.

- COMMUNICATIONS: NCCP counts with an Office for Communication and Research (OCR) which is in-charge of NCCP's internal and external communications, as well as website. It will collect stories from the local population which will be posted on NCCP's website.

- PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD: The rapid response is to be implemented within a period of one months. NCCP will prepare an appeal which is expected to be submitted on or before the third week of July when all the damage and needs assessment shall have been conducted by the NCCP secretariat in coordination with its member churches and regional ecumenical councils in the affected areas. Rehabilitation plans shall have been firmed up in consultation with the affected communities.

BUDGET

Christian Aid: US$ 25,000

National Council of Churches in the Philippines: US$ 25,000

(For the detailed budgets, kindly visit the ACT site. Thank you.)

ACTION

The ACT Co-ordinating Office has approved the use of US$50,000 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund and would be grateful to receive contributions to wholly or partially replenish this payment. Should there be an appeal for this emergency, the RRF payment will be considered as an advance.

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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.