CARE Canada

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. This number is expected to rise. 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, CARE Canada is providing emergency shelters for up to 20,000 typhoon-affected people in Leyte province. Project activities include distributing emergency shelter kits to 4,000 households (20,000 individuals). These kits enable people to repair houses that were damaged in the typhoon and include items such as sheeting to repair roofs, nails, sealer and basic tools.