IDPPAR No. 02, 2022: Displacement due to Typhoon Rai (Odette), Issue No. 03
INCIDENT BACKGROUND
Super Typhoon (STY) Rai with local name Odette swept through the Philippines in mid-December soon before the year 2021 ends. The super typhoon batter strong winds and heavy rain in several parts of Mindanao. It also brings fears that widespread flooding and landslides may have claimed more lives like the other super typhoons that had hit the country. Communication and power were out in several parts of Mindanao making the rescue efforts difficult.
The Caraga Administrative Region is highly affected by the super typhoon among the other regions in Mindanao. The authorities have advised its constituents to take necessary precautionary measures against possible hazards such as floods, landslides, strong winds, and storm surges. In some parts of Mindanao, the super typhoon has also caused displacements because of floods and landslides.
CURRENT SITUATION
Over 50 days after the devastating landfall of STY Rai (Odette) in the country, the affected populations remain steadfast to overcome the enclosed challenges of its aftermath. In Mindanao, the extent of damage manifests in the province of Dinagat Islands and in the Province of Surigao del Norte, including Siargao Island.
Per the government’s Disaster Response Operation Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC) report dated as of 03 February 2022, the number of affected families have reached up to 385,078 families (approximately 1.5 million individuals). Out of these number of affected families, 20,518 families (approximately 72,180 individuals) were displaced and are currently staying either in the evacuation centers or at their relative’s home.
Amidst all these, the community exhibits extreme resilience. Most of the affected families have immediately built makeshifts out of salvaged materials from the debris left by the raged storm. Although, safety and dignity are two other things of concern linked to meeting durable solution.
Despite their resiliency and given the extent of damage the typhoon left in their places of origin, the affected families anticipate that it may take some time to reach full recovery. STY Rai (Odette) particularly impacted their access to shelters, livelihood, lifelines, infrastructural facilities including access road, health facilities, schools, dock in port among others. After more than a month, the affected population is looking forward to sustainability of food assistance, support for reconstruction of shelters and recovery of livelihood. Evidently, there is a lot of work that needs to be done and a huge gap to fill to accelerate recovery and ensure safe and dignified living of the affected population.
Furthermore, the implementation of the notice for non-rebuilding of structures within the legal easements of Siargao Island or the No-Build Zone (NBZ) policy is making a resounding noise to the affected communities in the said island which is now adding to their anxieties.
Meanwhile, a coordination meeting attended by the mayors of the 9 municipalities in Siargao Island and the representatives from different humanitarian agencies was conducted for the first time in the provincial operation center based in the island. Presented in the meeting were the commitments of the UN agencies in implementing Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) project in the region. Also, non-CERF funded agencies were given their time to present their engagements as well.
In this meeting, UNHCR emphasized that its commitments revolve around two main functions, namely: operation and coordination functions. The operational function refers to UNHCR’s protection-by-presence through protection monitoring with project partners, protection mainstreaming, advocacy works and provision and distribution of core relief items (CRI). For its coordination function, UNHCR provides technical support in protection coordination and information management.
