Attachments
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration on September 30, 2015 announced that a mature “strong” El Niño has prevailed in the Pacific Ocean affecting the Philippines. 14 provinces in Luzon and 12 provinces in Visayas experience dry spell, while drought is expected to be experienced by 6 provinces in Luzon, 3 provinces in Visayas, and 23 provinces in Mindanao. As of February 2016, the drought has already caused P5.32 billion worth of damages to the agriculture sector alone. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has reported that at least 100,000 fisher folk are also affected by drought through fish kills and red tide.
Geneva, 10 May 2016
Brief description of the emergency and impact
The worsening effects of El Niño are still felt by 43% of the county despite recent but sporadic rainfall in the country. In early April, around 3,000 farmers severely affected by the drought in South Cohabit province protested the lack of government support; this led to a violent dispersal, which left 1 dead and 13 injured. Drought has been experienced since the last quarter of 2015 in more than 40% of the country, according to partner reports of Christian Aid, Lutheran World Relief, and HEKS Swiss Church Aid covering. Hunger is rampant as it is directly correlated to the halt in farming and fishing production as the primary source of rural sustenance and income. Disease has also become prevalent due to malnutrition and access to potable water. Market prices for food and other necessities remain the same; but income opportunities among partner communities have drastically declined due to extreme heat and dried up water sources. Crop cycles have practically failed since July 2015, and this is expected to continue in the next months due to dry and infertile land, and the expected intense rains post drought. After El Niño, La Niña or intense monsoon activity is expected to occur (http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/02/26/1556983/pagasaW) which may result to continued halt in production of agriculture and aquaculture products.