Emergency appeal n° MDRPH010
GLIDE n° FL-2012-000130-PHL
30 August 2012
This emergency appeal seeks CHF 1,772,243 in cash, kind, or services to support the Philippine Red Cross to assist 20,000 families (some 100,000 persons) for 7 months. The operation will be completed by 31 March 2013 and a final report will be made available by 30 June 2013 (three months after the end).
Appeal history:
· A preliminary emergency appeal was launched on 9 August 2012 for CHF 922,700 to assist 15,000 families (75,000 people) in five months
· CHF 180,837 was advanced from the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 9 August 2012 to initiate distributions and to support detailed assessments.
Summary:
In early August 2012, the Philippines were battered by heavy rains fuelled by the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Saola and Tropical Storm Haikui. The government’s weather agency reported that the rains were the heaviest recorded in three years and exceeded half of the average monthly for August. Flood water swamped swathes of land in the capital Manila and neighbouring provinces, damaging 9,608 houses, destroying 3,354 others and forcing more than 500,000 persons to seek temporary shelter in evacuation centres. The national disaster authorities report that the floods left 109 fatalities and affected more than four million people across the islands of Luzon and Visayas.
As relief operations to assist those affected by the flooding continued, on 15 August the third storm to impact Philippines within a month (Typhoon Kai-Tak) made landfall in the northern tip of Luzon Island. Typhoon Kai-Tak brought moderate-to-heavy rains, mainly in Northern Luzon, killing ten people and forcing the evacuation of 2,500 families to safer areas. Additionally, two new typhoons (Tembin and Bolaven) which were hovering in the Philippine Sea brought a renewed threat of more flooding as it was feared they would enhance the southwest monsoon although they were not expected to make landfall in the Philippines. Alert levels were lowered as both typhoons moved away from the Philippines.
Nevertheless, while floodwater has receded in Metro Manila, several neighbourhoods in nearby provinces of Laguna and Rizal (surrounding Laguna de Bay) remain swamped. Based on past experience and projections by the residents, it will take up to four months for the floodwater to recede. Families in such areas are expected to stay in evacuation centres for extended periods; as such humanitarian needs will remain for months. The situation may evolve as the threat of fresh rains remains. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons each year, usually between May and October although the cycle has extended to December in recent years.