Philippines faces the effects of Super Typhoon Haima

MANILA, Philippines - Super Typhoon Haima, known locally as Lawin, slammed the Philippines, pummelling communities with strong winds and intense rains with maximum sustained winds of 225 kph and gusts of up to 315 kph. The typhoon made a direct hit on Cagayan, Isabela and Kalinga, Abra and Apayao on the eve of October 19, affecting 5 million people (1.045 million households) in its path. A total of 266 municipalities were affected and experienced torrential rains that triggered flash floods and landslides following impact of Typhoon Sarika which excited on the same day that Typhoon Haima entered the Philippines area of responsibility on October 17.

According to Action Against Hunger Philippines Country Director Javad Amoozegar the priority right now is to determine the impact of Typhoon Haima, and identify the hardest-hit areas.

“Our mission’s emergency response teams are already deployed to ascertain the scale of damage and respond to immediate needs when needed. As of this time, there are still areas un-assessed due to poor communication and inaccessibility,” Amoozegar says.

In any emergency situation, Action Against Hunger responds to the critical needs of the most vulnerable, including children under five, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, single-headed households, and persons with chronic illnesses, addressing concerns related to health and nutrition, water, sanitation and hygiene and food security and livelihoods.

Prior to the landfall of the typhoon, Action Against Hunger prepositioned lifesaving essentials, including water, sanitation and hygiene kits, generators, bladders, blankets, mosquito nets, kitchen utensils, and nutrition and psychosocial support, and emergency food in Manila ready to be distributed to those in need, and identified key teams for assessment in the worst affected areas.

"Restoring livelihoods and critical life-saving services such as safe water, health promotion and sanitation services are essential to prevent public health risk and malnutrition from taking root. We cannot reduce malnutrition without clean water and livelihood to meet the needs of the affected families,” Amoozegar says.

Action Against Hunger is working closely with the national and local governments in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene, nutrition and psychosocial and care practices, food security and livelihoods and disaster risk management, committed to helping the most vulnerable families with children under five, pregnant and lactating women, female-headed households, the elderly, persons with disabilities and persons with chronic illnesses.

Action Against Hunger has been present in the Philippines since 2000, with six field offices in Masbate, Zamboanga, Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tagum and Tandag, and a head office in Manila.

For more information, please follow Action Against Hunger on Facebook at @ActionAgainstHungerPH or visit us on Twitter at ACF_philippines.