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Philippines: Typhoon Nalgae and Nesat Situation Report No. 5 13 October 2011 This report is produced by OCHA in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHA Philippines. It covers the period from 8-13 Oct. The next SitRep will be issued on or around 18 October. I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES • Over four million people were affected by the two typhoons with over 254,400 people requiring assistance, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). • Limited access by road and intermittent access by air and sea is hampering relief and assessment efforts along the coastal areas of Islabela Province. • The Government has led the response and has not formally requested international assistance through a letter from the NDRRMC to the Humanitarian Coordinator. Individual line ministries have requested support from humanitarian agencies as needed. II. Situation Overview Typhoon Nesat, locally known as Pedring, battered 35 provinces in northern and central Luzon on 27 September, followed five days later by Typhoon Nalgae, locally known as Quiel, that followed a similar track to Nesat causing further damage to 17 of the 35 provinces on 1 October. Over four million people were affected by the typhoon that destroyed food crops, water systems, and homes that left over 727,000 people requiring assistance. As of 11 October over 254,400 remain in need of assistance according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Figure 1: Bulacan Province ©OCHA Philippines The NDRRMC reported a total of 101 typhoon related deaths, 18 deaths from Typhoon Nalgae and 83 deaths from Typhoon Nesat, as of 11 October. Search and rescue operations are ongoing to recover twenty people missing from Typhoon Nesat, and seven missing from Typhoon Nalgae. The NDRRMC is addressing the immediate needs of the affected population for those registered inside and outside of the evacuation centers, supported by the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and humanitarian partners. Table 1: Comparative impact of Typhoons Affected Inside ECs Outside ECs Typhoon # ECs Families People Families People Families People TY Nesat 58,747 254,412 64 5,746 25,403 52,983 229,009 TY Nalgae 33,680 143,702 74 7,882 35,982 25,798 107,720 (Source: NDRRMC, 11 October 2011). Serious concerns also remain for the coastal communities of Isabela Province. Since Typhoon Nalgae on 27 September, there has been limited information and access to Divilacan, Dinapigue, Maconacon and Palananan municipalities due to continued inclement weather conditions and intermittent communications from the Local Government Units (LGUs). These coastal towns are only accessible by sea and air. Reports on needs for Ifugao province have decreased due to existing preparedness measures including relief stockpiles and local resilience measures. Typhoon Nalgae and Typhoon Nesat caused tremendous damage to people’s homes, with a cumulative total of over 71,584 houses damaged. Of these, 10,061 houses were destroyed and remaining 61,523 houses www.unocha.org The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Celebrating 20 years of coordinated humanitarian action 2 sustained partial damaged, according to NDRRMC. The majority of houses destroyed and damaged were recorded in Cagayan Valley (Region II) and Central Luzon (Region III). The Government of the Philippines allocated US$3.7 million (PhP 163 million) for the typhoon response, as of 11 October. These resources were mainly distributed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DoH) and LGUs. Humanitarian partners located in-country continue to provide technical assistance where requested. Overall, the damage brought about by these natural disasters undermines the food security of several thousands of affected Filipino farmers who depend on agriculture for their livelihood and survival. The Department of Agriculture (DA) reports the total loss to crops and livestock is $269 million. The DA also reports 420,337 hectares of damaged rice lands with production losses amounting to 728,379 tonnes or equivalent to 11% of the harvest forecast for the last quarter of 2011. Almost two weeks after Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae severely affected northern and Figure 2: Hagonoy aerial photo ©OCHA Philippines central Luzon, the NDRRMC is continuing to assess the impact of Tropical Cyclone Ramon that crossed Central Philippines and Northern Mindanao on 12 October. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration (PAGASA) reports that the storm is currently moving across the West Philippine Sea and is expected to move out of the Philippine area of responsibility on 14 October. The storm’s heavy rains caused flooding in provinces in northeastern Mindanao, including Misamis Oriental, South Cotabato and Dinagat Island, and in the Visayas, including Cebu, Iloilo and Capiz, and Romblon province in Luzon. One death and one injury were reported by NDRRMC and fourteen fishermen were rescued, 13 were from Misamis Oriental. Over 450 displaced families are being served both inside and outside evacuation centers. A total of 10 evacuation centers have been established. According to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region III, Bulacan and Pampanga, were not affected by Ramon. During the Philippines Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) meeting held on 10 October the RC/HC noted that the devastating impact of the two typhoons directly impacts on the livelihoods of the affected families and that the UN and the HCT stand ready to provide assistance and support restoration of livelihoods in support of the Government’s efforts. The NDRMC, supported by the humanitarian community, continue to deliver food, water, shelter and medical supplies to those in need. The Government is working to access areas that were cut off by landslides and remain on high alert for further storms that are likely to assail already affected areas. III. Humanitarian Needs and Response WATER SANITATION HYGIENE Lead: Department of Health Co-Lead: UNICEF Needs: Region III provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Taralac and Nueva Ecijia, remain worst affected. In Bulacan, lack of sanitary facilities was identified as a key need with diarrhoea reported in Hagonoy and Paombong. Stagnant water has increased the risk of dengue, which was prevalent before the floods. DoH- Health Emergency Management Staff (DoH-HEMS) identified a need for access to safe water in all evacuation centers and solid waste management in the Bulacan evacuation centers. A DoH-Center for Health Development report recommended the collection of solid waste, de-clogging/de-sludging of septic tanks, increased supply of portalets and removal of stagnant water in Bulacan evacuation centers. Response: Regional DoH is coordinating with LGUs to improve solid waste management in evacuation centers and is providing funds for desludging and rental of portalets. UNICEF supplied 3,500 hygiene kits and 3,500 water kits to DSWD to distribute to families in evacuation centers in Bulacan and Pampanga. Save the Children distributed 820 jerry cans with drinking water, 209 family hygiene kits, and 600 household kits to Calumpit (Meysulao, Gatbuca, Caniogan) and Hagonoy (Palapat, San Miquel, Tampok) in Bulacan. ADRA www.unocha.org The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors. Celebrating 20 years of coordinated humanitarian action 3 are distributing 15 litres/day of drinking water for ten days to 2,150 families in Bulacan (Hagonoy, San Isidro) and 1,500 families in Pampanga, (San Simon, San Pedro). CRS is distributing 500 water and hygiene kits in Bulacan (Calumpit, Calizom) Gaps & Constraints: Poor access to some locations due to flood waters and landslides. Funding for WASH activities is limited. Knowledge of hygiene is poor. HEALTH Lead: Department of Health Co-Lead: WHO Needs: As reported by the NDRRMC, 13,646 families remain in evacuation centers and need access to essential health services, including medical consultations for acute respiratory infections, acute watery diarrhea, fever, skin infections and hypertension. As floodwaters have started to recede, rural health units and barangay health stations that were damaged by the floods need rehabilitation. Twenty-one cases of suspected leptospirosis have been reported in Bulacan, two deaths have also been attributed to leptospirosis. An increase in diarrhoeal cases has been reported across several barangays of Malolos and Calumpit in Bulacan. Suspected measles cases have also been reported. Patient referrals systems continue to be affected. The Reproductive Health Working Group has received requests for reproductive health (RH) and hygiene kits. The DoH-HEMS requested one set of RH Kit #6 which can serve a population of 30,000. There is also a need to distribute hygiene kits to the flood-affected municipalities of Region III particularly Bulacan and Pampanga. Ifugao province requested 100 clean delivery kits and 250 hygiene kits. Local NGO ZOTO requested one RH Kit #6, 1,000 hygiene kits and 10 medical missions in Navotas, Malabon and Manila. ZOTO also reported 1,000 pregnant women and more than 3,000 infants needing health care. Response: The DoH, the Philippine Medical Association