Period covered by this update: 9 to 16 August 2012
Appeal target (current): CHF 922,700
Appeal coverage: The appeal is 53 per cent covered. More pledges are in the pipeline.

Appeal history:

• This emergency appeal was launched on a preliminary basis on 9 August 2012 for CHF 922,700 to assist 15,000 families (75,000 people) in five months

• CHF 180,837 was advanced on 9 August 2012 from the IFRC Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to initiate distributions and to support detailed assessments.

Summary: A week after the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched this preliminary emergency appeal to enable Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to 15,000 flood-affected families, relief operations are in full swing.

Utilizing items released from its pre-positioned stocks, funds advanced from IFRC’s DREF and resources mobilized from individual and corporate partners, the national society has distributed food rations to 36,000 families and non-food packages to more than 14,000 families. Distribution of relief items continues, with additional supplies being dispatched from the capital, Manila, for affected areas.

Red Cross staff and volunteers have been active on the ground since the disaster unfolded, initially supporting pre-evacuation efforts of the local authorities and later conducting rescue operations, bringing more than 2,500 persons to safety. The Red Cross emergency response teams were equipped with ambulances, an amphibian vehicle, rubber boats and trucks. As well as serving ready-to-eat meals to some 82,000 persons in evacuation centres, Red Cross social workers provided psychosocial support and referral services to some 2,100 persons.

Amidst constrained access to safe water supply in some areas due clogged systems or contamination by floodwater, the Red Cross is distributing clean water to selected evacuation centres. Thus far, more than 70,000 litres of fresh drinking water – including bottled water – have been served to families in need across the most affected areas. To address environmental sanitation challenges relating to clogging of drainage systems due to muck and uncollected debris, Red Cross volunteers and staff have been mobilized and are undertaking clean-up campaigns in their communities.

The national society is also conducting disease prevention, health and hygiene education in evacuations centres and communities and has so far reached some 3,000 families. This follows a leptospirosis alert issued by the health authorities, an increase in incidences of water-borne and water-related diseases, and observations that hygiene practices in some evacuation centres are poor.

Meanwhile, as fresh rains fuelled by a new weather system - Typhoon Kai-Tak which made landfall in North Luzon in the early morning of 15 August - donations toward this appeal are trickling in. Several pledges are currently being processed, which will place the appeal coverage at more than 60 per cent. Nevertheless, additional and timely support from partners is required to enable the national society to deliver immediate relief to the hardest-hit people. On behalf of Philippine Red Cross, IFRC would like to thank all partners who have contributed (pledges being processed) for their generous and invaluable donations to this appeal.