
Philippines: Emergency Preparedness & Response
Immediately after the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, People in Need dispatched a team of experienced humanitarian professionals. The typhoon left an unprecedented trail of destruction, and the disaster affected the lives of more than 14 million inhabitants. Over 6,000 people were recorded dead, many more were left unrecorded or missing, and millions of people lost their homes. We provided the affected people with life-saving assistance such as food, shelter and cash to buy food and other essentials.
In 2017, hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as a result of the Battle of Marawi. In cooperation with local partners we helped young people affected by the conflict, distributed school uniforms, and provided legal advice and psychosocial support.
Past aid programmes

Assistance to people affected by the Vinta typhoon
Distribution of sanitary kits were the main priority as the spread of contaminated water posed great risk of disease for displaced children.
As many farmers and small retailers were completely deprived of their livelihoods, PIN supported employment for local people in the most affected areas clearing debris and cleaning public houses. The income earned from these jobs can cover the cost of food or allow them to pay school fees for children and young adults. Single parents and women leading households without the help of a male partner were prioritized for the jobs.

Supporting students after the crisis in Marawi
Rebels who declared their support to the so-called Islamic State took control of the city towards the end of May 2017. The conflict escalated when the Philippine government embarked on an operation to catch one of the Islamist leaders. The biggest urban war in modern history of the Philippines lasted 6 months and cause damage of an estimated 20 billion Philippine Pesos (CZK 8,7 billion).
Since October 2017, People in Need has been helping displaced children get back in school so they can get back to the lives they had been living before the crisis. PIN supported students by providing them with school uniforms, which are mandatory in local schools. Together with local partner organisations we provided psychological support and helped to recover lost personal documents such as birth certificates, ID cards and school reports that are needed to enrol in school.

Rapid Livelihood Recovery
In this way the worst affected families could start regular work again and recover their self-sufficiency. The cash transfers were complemented with training in the field of business and technical skills, and awareness-raising workshops on the topic of livelihood protection and simple DRR measures. Most of our beneficiaries invested in animal raising, crop production and small businesses such as running pedicabs, eateries, tailoring workshops, small shops or bakeries.

Schools Rehabilitation
In early 2014, we started with full and permanent reconstruction of school buildings – we have provided them with new roofs, solidified roof structure, equipped rooms with doors and windows, and new toilets. 66 school buildings with 125 classrooms have been completely reconstructed and each of them equipped with sanitary facilities (either built or reconstructed). 46 of the classrooms have been significantly repaired (mainly roof, doors and windows) and 79 classrooms fully reconstructed. Our help has made it possible to educate over 4,800 children in a suitable environment.

Cash for Work
The majority of the supported families used their earnings and cash grants to purchase food and building materials to repair their homes. PIN team focused also on remote and almost inaccessible areas (upland areas and distant islands) where clearing roads of fallen trees and repairing damaged bridges allowed people again to access markets and assistance from actors. In 2014, PIN introduced a coconut lumber reclamation component which allowed the communities to make use of the wood for reconstruction their homes.
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Rapid Humanitarian Assistance in the immediate aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan
PIN’s humanitarian team focused on providing life-saving assistance to the worst affected people on Bantayan Island. PIN immediately organised distribution of food for 10,000 of the most affected people. The second priority was to secure temporary shelters for families left homeless. Together with RAFI Foundation, PIN distributed material for constructing temporary shelters for 5,000 people.