ORMOC CITY, Leyte, March 24 (PIA) – The UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration, recently delivered 100 chainsaws in Ormoc City, in order to help provide durable and sustainable solutions to thousands of people left homeless by Typhoon Haiyan.
Ms. Caroline Blay, head of UNHCR Office in Ormoc City during the handover ceremony at Sabin Resort said the chainsaws were donated by Swedish power tool producer Husqvarna to assist in salvaging coconut trees cut down by the super typhoon.
Ms. Christy Marfil, IOM head of Office in Ormoc City said that the donation will greatly facilitate the large scale effort of the Philippine Government, the international community and especially the Filipino population and civil society to rebuild safer shelters in the wave of the destruction caused by Yolanda. The joint effort by the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees and the IOM to bring chainsaws into the affected communities is envisioned to address the enormous need for temporary and permanent shelter homes, a concern which remains four months after the typhoon.
The event was also attended by Mr. Jaime Nunez the Officer in Charge of the Philippine Coconut Authority in Ormoc City who expressed the agency’s gratitude to the International Humanitarian groups.
He announced that no cutting fees or transport fees will be collected by PCA until June 30 of 2014. During the activity, the UNHCR and IOM heads in Ormoc City signed the Memorandum of Agreement on the project. Witnessing the MOA signing were the PCA Ormoc OIC and UNOCHA Ormoc Hub head Mr. Ashley Jonathan Clements.
To recall, more than 33 million coconut trees were lost in the aftermath of Yolanda, leaving at least a million coconut farmers with no means of livelihood. Yolanda’s swooping winds also damaged no less than one million homes and displaced over four million people.
The chainsaws will empower typhoon survivors to take charge of their own recovery. They can use the coconut lumber they salvage as materials to rebuild their homes while also clearing their communities of fallen trees, Ms. Blay said.
The UNHCR co-leads the Typhoon Yolanda protection cluster and the IOM leads the camp coordination and camp management cluster alongside with the Philippine Government.
The distribution of chainsaws links the protection and shelter strategies of both UN Agencies. (PIA 8)