THE UNITED NATIONS WORLD FOOD

Published purpose

November 19, 2013 – On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) made landfall in the Philippines, killing a reported 3,976 people and affecting 12.9 million people in 41 provinces. Some four million people have been reported as displaced from their homes and are seeking shelter in evacuation centres or with host families. The typhoon caused extensive damage to infrastructure in the hardest-hit areas, making it very challenging to access affected people with emergency assistance. The latest reports indicate that the typhoon destroyed more than one million homes and that electricity and water systems are not functioning in many affected areas. The Government of the Philippines has identified the most significant needs as safe drinking water, shelter, food, medical assistance, and support to ensure adequate hygiene and sanitation. With DFATD’s support, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is providing emergency food assistance for 2.5 million people. Project activities include distributing emergency food assistance, including 1,000 metric tonnes of nutritious and easy-to-transport high-energy biscuits, to help people make it through the immediate aftermath of the disaster.