2 years since Typhoon Haiyan: Communities rebuild with World Vision

Monday, November 9, 2015

For many people of central Philippines who survived the onslaught of typhoon Haiyan, November 8 will always be a date to remember. While it brings memories of grief and despair, it also galvanizes the Filipino’s undying hope, strength and the will to bounce back whatever the challenges are. 

Report: Two years on- Typhoon Haiyan Response

It is this resilience that inspires World Vision to continue to stand with survivors as they build back their lives in the face of the challenges that remain, two years after Haiyan. Exceeding by more than 100 percent of its planned target to reach of 750,000 individuals, World Vision has now reached 1,638,833 beneficiaries.

Response Director Dineen Tupa says, "Two years on data tells us that people in the rural areas are bouncing back but the urban poor have not rebounded quite as well."

The hardest hit areas in Tacloban are still struggling to meet important needs like shelter and livelihood which make residents, especially  the children, vulnerable to disasters. World Vision recently initiated the Hope for Tacloban’s Children project. It aims to assist some of the worst hit communities of Tacloban in creating safe environments for children to live, play and learn through rehabilitation of child-focused community assets, disaster preparedness in the community level and providing support for income-generating initiatives that will help families provide for children.

This early, 14,544 beneficiaries have already been reached by the project. All throughout the response, World Vision has provided 12,368 shelter materials and tool kits and 884 houses for the most vulnerable families – usually child-headed households, single parents, the disabled and the elderly. Apart from shelter support, families also had the opportunity to receive assistance with livelihoods, health, education and other key needs identified. 

Cash-for-work programs have involved and supported more than 100,055 people and more than 70,836 have benefitted from livelihoods that include livestock distribution, skills trainings, business start-up toolkits and working with community savings groups. Two years after Haiyan, World Vision remains committed to the rehabilitation of Haiyan-affected communities.

Dineen Tupas explains, "As we look into the final year of this response, our aim is to continue helping those who need it. World Vision is one of the 13 remaining organizations in Haiyan-affected areas which continues to help survivors."