CARE has reached more than 318,000 people with food, shelter and livelihood support
A year after one of the strongest storms ever recorded hit the Philippines, hundreds of thousands of people have started rebuilding, yet communities continue to need support to fully recover their livelihoods.
“Typhoon Haiyan left nearly four times as many people homeless as the Indian Ocean tsunami. It hit one of the poorest regions of the country, wiping out coconut farms, rice fields, fishermen’s equipment and people’s businesses,” says Alexandra Maclean, CARE’s country director in the Philippines. “It is commendable how swift the local communities have started the construction of their destroyed houses despite the enormous challenges.”
More than 16 million people were affected by Typhoon Haiyan (local name “Yolanda”), over twice the population of the Greater Toronto Area.
Throughout its recovery efforts, CARE has seen women at the forefront of communities’ rebuilding efforts. They have taken on new roles to lead the recovery of their families and their villages.
“It is exciting to observe the strong role many local women have taken,” says Maclean. “Women are determined to get back on their feet and it is our role to help them do it.”
CARE empowers women entrepreneurs by providing financial assistance so they can restore their small businesses such as grocery stores, vegetable gardens, rice farms or food stalls. At the same time, CARE and its local partners have trained women in techniques to build back safer houses, knowledge which they pass within their communities, helping others to have a safe roof over their heads.
Dina Quano, a young mother of two, received shelter materials and a cash grant from CARE. With this help, she rebuilt her house, expanded her piggery and restored her farm.
“The disaster was harsh, but surviving it has also inspired me to dream again. I want to finish my education, so I could find better work and my kids can be proud of me,” she says.
Over the past year, CARE and its local partners reached more than 318,000 people with life-saving food, shelter support and financial assistance for livelihoods.
Thanks to the support of individual Canadians, corporate donors, the Humanitarian Coalition and the Government of Canada, CARE Canada raised more than $2.9 million in Canadian funds towards its Typhoon Haiyan response.
Overall, CARE International has received a total of $27 million (USD) and is seeking a further $3 million to reach its funding target of $30 million.
“We are now in the crucial phase to help people get a stable income again and protected from future natural disasters,” says Maclean. “At the same time, 95,000 families are still living in unsafe makeshift shelters during the current typhoon season. We need more durable solutions to protect people’s lives and help them earn a living.”
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CARE Canada has spokespeople available in Canada and the Philippines to discuss Typhoon Haiyan.
CARE International Communications Coordinator Sandra Bulling was with the initial CARE assessment team to visit the affected region days after the typhoon. She has returned to the Philippines and is available to speak with reporters.
Contact:
Marie-Jo Proulx
Communications Manger, CARE Canada
613.799.7562
mj.proulx@care.ca