Period covered by this operations update: 1 October 2010 to 31 January 2011
Appeal target (current): CHF 16,286,096 (USD 16.1 million or EUR 10.8 million).
Appeal coverage: With contributions received to date, the appeal is 67 per cent covered in cash and kind.
Summary: This operations update extends the appeal timeframe up to 30 June 2011. This adjustment is mainly due to continuing limitations relating to the legal processes of securing suitable land for shelter construction. It also adjusts the plan [objectives, results and activities] for relief distributions, health and care, water and sanitation, livelihoods and national society capacity building components to reflect actual implementation in view of the operational context. In line with this, adjustments have also been made to some lines within the appeal budget, but with no change in the overall budget figure. A final report will be issued by 30 September 2011. (The attached financial report covers the period up to December 2010, in line with the reporting period. A financial statement reflecting the adjustments made within budget lines is currently being processed, and will be attached with the next operations update.)
The relief phase of this operation was completed in April 2010. Focus then turned to providing shelter assistance linked with livelihoods interventions, water and sanitation projects and related hygiene promotion. Activities also extended to strengthening the disaster preparedness and response capacity of Philippine Red Cross (PRC). During this reporting period, implementation of shelter, livelihoods, and water and sanitation activities continued. Under the shelter project, some 563 units were completed, bringing the total number of units constructed to date to 1,663. Over the same period, livelihoods activities intensified as beneficiary families moved into their new homes. As of 24 January 2011, a total of 1,330 families had received livelihoods assistance.
In addition, construction and rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities for all targeted 30 typhoon-affected schools was completed. With that, hygiene promotion for schools started and is ongoing. Hygiene promotion targeting community members also continued, with 79 community health volunteers - among them, four monitoring officers - recruited and mobilized in Aurora and Cavite. In turn, they reached some 6,000 families with health and hygiene messages. This brings the total number of families reached with hygiene promotion, since the beginning of the operation, to 46,700, surpassing the appeal target of 45,000 families.
The following Red Cross Red Crescent partners have provided cash and/or in-kind contributions: American Red Cross, Australian Red Cross/Australian government, Austrian Red Cross, British Red Cross/ British government, Canadian Red Cross Society/Canadian government, Danish Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross, Hong Kong branch of the Red Cross Society of China, Icelandic Red Cross, Irish Red Cross Society, Japanese Red Cross Society, Luxembourg Red Cross, Netherlands Red Cross/Netherlands government, New Zealand Red Cross/New Zealand government, Norwegian Red Cross/Norwegian government, Red Crescent Society of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Red Cross of Monaco, Republic of Korea Red Cross and Swedish Red Cross/Swedish government. Other contributors include Credit Suisse Foundation, European Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), Italian government, Motorola Foundation, Mellon Bank, OPEC Fund for International Development, Schering Plough, voluntary emergency relief fund (VERF)/WHO and other private or corporate donors.
On behalf of Philippine Red Cross, IFRC would like to thank all partners and donors for their generous and invaluable contributions to this appeal. However, a funding gap remains, especially for shelter and livelihood needs. Further support from partners needed and encouraged.