Typhoon Sarika - Oct 2016
Overview
A weather disturbance which formed earlier this week, in the sea, east of Philippines has intensified to Typhoon Sarika (local name Karen). The national meteorological agency estimates that Sarika will make landfall in the Aurora Quezon area as an equivalent of Category 2 cyclone early Sunday, 16 October. (IFRC, 15 Oct 2016)
Typhoon Sarika made landfall in the Philippines in Aurora province, eastern Luzon...on 15 October, as a strong Typhoon...It crossed Luzon swiftly, passing through the provinces of Aurora, Nueva Vizcava, Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan, losing strength but remaining a typhoon. The National Disaster Management Agency in the morning of 17 October (UTC) reported no casualties, about 200 houses damaged, minor landslides and power cuts. Around 40 000 people were preemptively evacuated and about 25 000 of them were still in shelters as of same date. (ECHO, 17 Oct 2016)
Typhoon Sarika emerged over the South China Sea a few hours after landfall in the Philippines and moved W-NW in the general direction of Hainan province of China. (ECHO, 17 Oct 2016)
As of 03 November, the official partial estimates of damage caused by both typhoons Sarika and Haima, which hit northern Luzon on 19 October, included 248 872 tonnes of lost crops. Large numbers of people are still living in temporary shelters and relying on humanitarian support. Most of the population affected by the typhoons are critically dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods and many are vulnerable to food insecurity. (FAO, 03 Nov 2016)
As of 04 November, preliminary official estimates indicated that about 400,000 hectares of paddy, maize and high value crops (such as mango, banana, papaya, cassava and vegetables) were adversely affected by both typhoons Haima and Sarika. The overall damage to the agriculture sector was estimated to be close to USD 234 million. However, the overall impact on 2016 cereal crops is expected to be limited. (FAO, 16 Nov 2016)
On 18 October, Typhoon Sarika made landfall on China's southern island of Hainan as a Category 2 typhoon with torrential rain and winds of up to 162 km/h. Nearly 500,000 people were evacuated from coastal and low-lying areas. (OCHA, 24 Oct 2016)
As of 19 October In Hainan province, more than 500 houses collapsed and more than 2,000 were damaged, according to China's Ministry of Civil Affairs. (IDMC, 19 Oct 2016)
Severe flooding triggered by heavy rainfall in the central provinces of Viet Nam has forced thousands of families to evacuate to safer grounds and left many other residents stranded without food or safe drinking water in their homes. According to local authorities, at least 21 people have died, 18 were injured, and 8 others are still missing after the floods inundated more than 27,000 houses and damaged 770 homes in the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue and Quang Binh, which was the most impacted. Around 1,600 hectares of rice fields have been damaged and some families lost their livestock in the floods. (IFRC, 18 Oct 2016)
On 17 November, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent launched an Emergency Appeal seeking 1.4 million Swiss francs to support the Viet Nam Red Cross (VNRC) to deliver assistance and support to 30,775 people for nine months, with a focus on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); shelter (including household non-food items); disaster risk reduction and National Society capacity building. According to the IFRC, people in affected areas have inadequate access to basic hygiene and limited access to safe water and nutritional food, potentially exposing them to health risks. (IFRC, 17 Nov 2016)
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reports that Typhoon Sarika affected a total of 70,169 families, or 300,396 people, in six regions: I, II, III, CALABARZON, V and CAR. (IFRC, 14 Dec 2016)
On 20 December, the European Commission announced the release of € 328 000 in humanitarian aid funding to channel emergency relief to communities affected by typhoons Sarika and Haima. The aid will focus on providing assistance to meet the most pressing needs of 17 000 people in some of the worst hit provinces: Aurora, Cagayan, Catanduanes, Kalinga and Nueva Vizcaya. (ECHO, 20 Dec 2016)
Useful Links
Most read reports
- Philippines: Destructive Tropical Cyclones from 2006 to 2016
- Another Typhoon Hits the Philippines (19 Oct 2016)
- Farmers in the Philippines replant their farms after Typhoon Sarika and Super Typhoon Haima
- Asia and the Pacific: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (11 - 17 October 2016)
- Asia and the Pacific: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (18 - 24 October 2016)
In 2017, rural families in the Philippines struggled to regain their livelihoods after a succession of strong typhoons, drought and conflict decimated crops, farm animals and productive assets. Missing the imminent planting season would have meant that agriculture-dependent families would have gone without income for at least three months – relying solely on food assistance.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENT
From the middle of October until the end of December of 2016, very heavy rainfall caused by a combination of tropical depressions and the North-Eastern monsoon produced five consecutive periods of flooding in eighteen provinces in central Vietnam (North Central, South Central Coast, and the Central Highland regions), significantly affecting their people and economies.
Emergency Appeal no MDRVN014
EA update no 2: 15 June 2017
Timeframe covered by this update: 27 October 2016 – 31 May 2017
Operation start date: 17 Nov 2016
Operation timeframe: 9 months (November 2016 – July 2017)
A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
Cereal production in 2017 forecast close to last year’s high level
Cereal imports in 2017/18 marketing year (July/June) forecast to expand to record level
Prices of rice generally stable in recent months
Large number of people affected by typhoons and El Niño in 2016
Cereal production in 2017 forecast close to last year’s high level
EU humanitarian aid for the Philippines:
€ Close to 75.3 million in response to natural disasters and € 25.4 million to assist victims of armed conflicts since 1997
Over € 10 million for disaster preparedness between 1998 and 2017
In 2017:
- € 725 000 for humanitarian assistance to displaced people in Mindanao
:**In 2016:**
€ 1.5 million in humanitarian assistance to victims of Typhoon Melor
CHF 169,011 was allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 16 October 2016 to support Philippines Red Cross in delivering immediate humanitarian assistance to the populations affected by Typhoon Sarika in provinces of Aurora, Catanduanes and Nueva Vizcaya of which CHF 151,678 was utilized. The balance of CHF 17,333 will be returned to DREF. Click here for the final financial report.
This Revised Emergency Appeal is seeking 336,193 Swiss francs (reduced from 1,405,216 Swiss francs) to enable the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Viet Nam Red Cross (VNRC) in delivering assistance and support to 24,050 people (reduced from 30,775 people) affected by floods in late 2016. The operation is focusing on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); shelter; and disaster risk reduction. The main changes are the removal of recovery shelter and National Society capacity development components.
A. Situation analysis
As livelihood recovery efforts continue, farmers in the rice-producing provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija are optimistic that the upcoming harvest can help them rebound from the devastating impacts of Typhoon Sarika and Super Typhoon Haima (local names: Karen and Lawin).
At least 4 300 families that were able to replant their damaged farms with assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA) are currently receiving supplemental fertilizer and other farm inputs from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
HIGHLIGHTS
• Typhoon Nock-Ten-affected regions sustain heavy damage to agriculture and infrastructure as humanitarian actors find ways to further assist government recovery efforts.
• A Catanduanes community finds that preparedness and evacuation measures can achieve zero casualties.
• FAO augments government assistance to Typhoon Sarika and Haima-affected farmers.
• Flash flooding displaces thousands in Mindanao and Visayas.
• An inclusive dialogue with stakeholders ensures a safe and dignified return for Lumads in Mindanao.
Situational Overview
A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
Crisis overview
Typhoon Nock Ten (locally known as Nina) struck the Philippines, making eight landfalls between 25 and 26 December, with gusts of up to 285 km/h and winds of 235 km/h. Affected areas are the Bicol region (Region V), Mimaropa, Calabarzon and Eastern Visayas (Region VIII). Nearly 2 million people were affected and at least three people were killed. 1.4 million of the affected are in Cantanduanes, Albay, and Camerines Sur, in Bicol.
Bangkok, 20th December 2016 – The European Commission is providing € 328 000 in humanitarian aid funding to channel emergency relief to communities affected by two powerful typhoons which struck the country back to back recently, Typhoons Sarika and Haima (locally known as ‘Karen’ and ‘Lawin’, respectively). The aid will focus on providing assistance to meet the most pressing needs of 17 000 people in some of the worst hit provinces, namely Aurora, Cagayan, Catanduanes, Kalinga and Nueva Vizcaya.
Situation Analysis
On 16 October 2016, at 2:30 AM, Typhoon Sarika (locally known as Karen) made landfall over Baler, Aurora with maximum sustained winds of 150 km per hour and gustiness of up to 210 km per hour, and moved west across the Luzon mainland before heading out to the sea west of the Philippines. By morning of 17 October, Typhoon Sarika had exited the PAR, according to PAGASA.
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
Typhoons Sarika and Haima have negatively affected central and northern parts of Luzon, but overall impact on 2016 cereal crops expected to be limited
Cereal import requirements in 2016/17 marketing year (July/June) forecast to remain high
Prices of rice stable in recent months
Typhoons negatively impacted livelihoods and food security of affected households
Cereal production in 2016 forecast to recover from last year’s reduced level
Appeal n° MDRVN014
Glide n° TC-2016-000111-VNM
30,775 people to be assisted
144,866 Swiss francs DREF allocated
1,405,215 Swiss francs current Appeal budget
Appeal ends 31 July 2017 (9 months)
Appeal launched 17 November 2016
In central Mindanao and in the Sulu archipelago, fighting between government security forces and armed opposition groups led to temporary displacement of thousands of civilians. Meanwhile, sporadic hostilities continued between government security forces and the New People’s Army in eastern Mindanao, leading to the protracted displacement of civilians; while pockets of clashes also occurred in parts of southern Luzon and Visayas regions.
The situation
Three tropical cyclones affected Philippines between September and October: Typhoon Meranti (locally known as Ferdie) which affected the northernmost Philippine province in Batanes; Typhoon Sarika (locally known as Meranti) which made landfall in the central part of Luzon in Baler, Aurora; and Typhoon Haima (locally known as Lawin).
Highlights:
• In mid-October, the Philippines was struck by two typhoons in close succession, Sarika, a Category 4 event on 16 October and Haima, a Category 5 event on 19 October. Central and northern parts of Luzon were the most affected areas.
• Strong winds, heavy rains and localized floods caused the loss of life and severe damage to the agriculture sector, including losses of the main staple rice paddy crop, as well as of maize and other high value crops. In addition, losses were reported in the livestock and fishery sectors.
