Over 82,000 people evacuated as Mayon Volcano continues to erupt
Mayon Volcano, located in Albay province, 300 km southeast of Manila, continues to show high levels of unrest. As of 2 February, local authorities have evacuated more than 82,000 persons in Albay living in the 8 km radius danger zone. Some communities have been displaced since the volcano first erupted on 13 January. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, there remains a possibility of a hazardous eruption within days or weeks. Aside from the eruption danger, lahar or mudflow is a threat especially during heavy rains, wh ich have been reported in the province.
Credit: OCHA/J. Addawe Ligao City, Albay (27 January 2018) - A member of the assessment team interviews a mother with her child who are staying at the Ligao City National Technical Vocational High School.
Prolonged evacuation for affected Albay communities
With the continued volcanic activity, the provincial government of Albay is now planning for a three-month evacuation. Nearly 90 per cent of those displaced by the volcano eruption are seeking shelter in 88 evacuation centres, mostly schools. The unpredictability of the Mayon Volcano’s eruption have left evacuees with no choice but to abandon their homes and livelihood for an indefinite period. Women and those with special needs are vulnerable in these conditions, with more than 250 pregnant women and nearly 800 lactating mothers among the displaced. Over 500 of the evacuees also have pre-existing health-related issues, which pose a challenge under cramped conditions.
On 28 January, heavy rainfall caused sediment-laden streamflows to drain down the volcano’s surface and rendered several roads impassable. Ashfall and pyroclastic material has also damaged more than P189 million (US$3.8 million) worth of rice, corn and abaca crops, which the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRMMC) estimates affects more than 10,000 farmers. Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said in a radio interview that 70 per cent of rice farms in Albay have been damaged.
Government response and humanitarian coordination
Provincial and municipal authorities are leading the disaster response with the support of the Department of Social Welfare and Development field office and the Philippine Red Cross. The local disaster management unit, Albay Public Safety Emergency Management Office (APSEMO), has been responding to frequent disasters as the region is prone to volcanic eruptions, typhoons, landslides, earthquakes and drought.
The most recent was Typhoon Nock-Ten (locally known as Nina) in December 2016. Other significant events have been Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda) in 2014 and Typhoon Durian (Reming) in 2006. Mayon Volcano has had 51 historical eruptions in the past 400 years, with the last significant activity in 2014, according to PHIVOLCS.
The national government is augmenting local assistance. During a visit on 29 January, President Rodrigo Duterte met with government line agencies regarding the construction of latrines and temporary learning spaces in evacuation centres, and pledged P25 million ($486,000) towards relief items for those affected by the disaster.
The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), composed of UN agencies, international and national non-governmental organizations, and the Red Cross, has been coordinating closely with APSEMO. Upon the request of the Albay government, a joint rapid assessment was conducted in 32 evacuation centres across nine affected Albay municipalities on 27 January. These include Bacanay, Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Legazpi City, Ligao City, Malilipot, Tabaco City and Sto. Domingo municipalities.
The assessment team was composed of fifteen organizations and worked together with the NDRRMC through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and APSEMO. The team interviewed camp managers and evacuees, and conducted focus group discussions. The data gathered was encoded using KoBo Toolbox, an open-source tool for mobile collection in the field.
Interviewees included camp managers and evacuees to ensure that information is gathered from those who are providing and receiving aid. Among the questions asked were their concerns regarding the condition of the evacuation centres, their priority needs, and their preferred mode of receiving information regarding the disaster while inside the evacuation centre. The results of the assessment was consolidated on 28 January into a report submitted to the NDRRMC, the HCT and partners to identify areas for key interventions and provide government with a basis for focusing assistance.
Credit: OCHA/G. Arevalo Legazpi City, Albay (26 January 2018) - The assessment team composed of 15 organizations (eight UN agencies, three international NGOs, 3 local NGOs and a private-sector foundation) meets at Bicol University for a briefing before deploying to evacuation centres.
Summary of initial assessment results
Camp coordination and camp management. Congestion is evident in most of the evacuation centres, with an average of 15 families or 50-60 persons per classroom. Most are infested with mosquitos. The majority of evacuees interviewed said that they there was no privacy, and there was a lack of sleeping materials. Pregnant women and elderly people said they lacked sleep because of the congested conditions and humidity. Men were sleeping in tricycles and available space outdoors.
Half of the evacuation centres assessed do not have designated cooking areas. Evacuation centres did not have ramps and were not accessible for wheelchair-bound persons with disabilities. Emergency shelters will be necessary if the displacement is prolonged, and the provision of relief items such as mats, blankets, mosquito nets, cooking fuel (charcoal), roofed cooking counters and water containers is needed.
Food security, agriculture and livelihoods
Food relief is currently being provided by the government and humanitarian partners. Evacuees are supplementing this with goods either from their farms or local markets. Men are reported to be returning home to tend to their crops and livestock. The temporary closure of coconut processing plants and small-scale quarrying operations has affected their income. Some of the evacuees, mostly women, continue with their abaca weaving and sell food items while inside the evacuation centre as a source of income. Prolonged displacement will affect food supply and access, and alternative livelihood intervention is needed. Food relief by the government and partners must be supported as well as the safety and health of livestock through the evacuation of these animals to appropriate shelters.
Health and reproductive health
Respiratory issues and diarrhoea are the most commonly reported ailment. There is a need for dignity kits for pregnant and lactating women to address their hygiene and protection needs. Deployment of mobile medical teams is suggested, and the presence of health staff on duty at all times.
Nutrition
Camp managers and health service providers said that nutrition services are being provided by the local health clinics. Strong advocacy and monitoring of the growth and nutritional status of the displaced is recommended, specifically for infants, young children, as well as pregnant and lactating women.
Protection, sexual and gender-based violence
Women and children are vulnerable to sexual and gender-based violence due to cramped conditions and lack of partitions at evacuation centres. Other vulnerable sectors are the elderly and persons with disabilities or specific needs. Child and women friendly spaces, and a reporting mechanism to manage gender and child issues is suggested. The immediate installation of temporary learning spaces and consideration for flexible learning options is recommended for displaced learners.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion (WASH)
Toilet facilities are primarily designed for school-aged children and not for displacement and long-term evacuation context. There is a need for adequate WASH facilities, specifically gender-specific latrines, laundry and bathing spaces, and solid waste management. Desludging of septic tanks for all schools is needed, as well as strengthening hygiene promotion for proper hand washing.
Credit: OCHA/J. Addawe Ligao City, Albay (27 January 2018) - An evacuee cooks food over a makeshift charcoal stove with his brother in an outdoor cooking area of an evacuation centre.
Upon the request of the Albay government, a joint rapid assessment was conducted in 32 evacuation centres across nine affected Albay municipalities on 27 January. These include Bacanay, Camalig, Daraga, Guinobatan, Legaspi City, Ligao City, Malilipot, Tabaco City and Sto. Domingo municpalities.
Prolonged displacement will affect food supply and access, and alternative livelihood intervention is needed.
Severe Tropical Storm Tembin affects over 797,000 including Marawi conflict displaced
Severe Tropical Storm (STS) Tembin (locally known as Vinta) made landfall in Cateel, Davao Oriental province on 22 December and crossed various provinces across northeastern Mindanao and southern Palawan causing severe flooding, flash floods and landslides. The storm made landfall a few days after Tropical Storm Kai-Tak (locally known as Urduja) passed the Samar province. On 24 December, STS Tembin intensified into a typhoon and maintained its strength as it exited the Philippine area of responsibility.
At the height of the storm, over 230 areas in MIMAROPA, Region IX, X and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) were flooded and more than 300,000 people were displaced. As of 31 January, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that casualties include 173 persons dead (168 are for validation) and at least 176 missing (163 for validation). Over 9,100 houses were destroyed, and P2.1 billion ($41 million) in agricultural losses, mostly rice and corn crops.
According to the Protection Cluster assessment report on the storm, people who were displaced by the Marawi conflict were also affected as evacuation centres reported flooding and damage to roofing and tents. Food supplies and hygiene kits in their tents were lost. For Marawi host communities, this worsened their capacity to support displaced families.
Vulnerable communities impacted by the storm
Kusain Ibra is 48 years old and a former barangay official in the Mindalano town of Salvador, Lanao del Norte province. His wife and children survived the disaster but his father and niece died that day. “What happened to us here was so severe, we haven’t experienced this kind of disaster since I can remember,” he says. Residents witnessed their homes swept by floodwaters and the death of members of their community.
Relief assistance was slow in the initial days due to landslides and damaged bridges. “Pasalamat ako kay Allah na kahit papano buhay pa rin ako, siguro may purpose pa ako.” (I give thanks to Allah for letting me live, maybe I still have a purpose.)
Residents used to flooding did not immediately evacuate especially those that are living along the foot of the mountain and near the rivers. In Munai municipality, Lanao del Norte, a bridge connecting the municipality to four barangays was completely destroyed. Access to people living in these areas was a challenge in the initial response.
The Lanao del Norte authorities plan to update their 2016 contingency plan by first quarter of this year. The plan will include flashfloods, landslides risks and the historical data of the river system will be reviewd to identify which barangays will be most likely affected. Recovery and rehabilitation will continue, including planting of vetiver grass known to help prevent soil erosion with its deep roots.
Significant role of NGOs in Tembin response
Non-government organizations (NGOs) operational in central Mindanao mobilized quickly. Those operating in Iligan City for the Marawi conflict such as Al-Mujadillah, Community and Family Services International (CFSI), Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits (EcoWEB), Humanitarian Response Consortium (HRC), and MARADECA were among those that conducted rapid assessments.
EcoWEB conducted a rapid assessment in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. They applied the survivor and community-led response approach in assessing specific needs and conducted planning with affected communities. Over 540 families received cash assistance, kitchen and hygiene supplies. The HRC targeted its assessment to 550 families in the municipalities of Madalum and Bacolod Kalawi in the province of Lanao del Sur. The organization also distributed hygiene kits and plan to provide kitchen essentials and WASH intervention for three months.
The assessment conducted by NGOs in the immediate aftermath of the storm, mostly on Christmas eve and day, was a significant contribution to the planning and decisionmaking of UN agencies and international humanitarian actors. The partnership between local and international actors in support of government response is crucial, especially when there are barriers to access and quick resource mobilization are a challenge.
The town of Salvador was severely affected by the storm, with residents witnessing their homes swept by floodwaters and the death of members of their community.
The assessment conducted by NGOs in the immediate aftermath of the storm, mostly on Christmas eve and the next day, was a significant contribution to the planning and decisionmaking of UN agencies and international humanitarian actors.
Learning from a successful collaboration
Central Emergency Response Fund after action review
Six months ago, 20 humanitarian organizations began an initiative to support the authorities in preventing an outbreak of water-borne and communicable diseases amongst the people affected by the conflict in Marawi City. More than 348,000 people had already been displaced during the first three weeks of the fighting, many having no choice but to camp in heavily congested evacuation sites with poor sanitation and hygiene conditions. A $2.5 million grant from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) enabled the United Nations and partners to rapidly strengthen emergency disease surveillance and improve access to aid and protection.
Having completed the activities in an overall success, the Resident Coordinator/ Humanitarian Coordinator, Ola Almgren, and humanitarian partners gathered in Iligan City on 18 January to reflect on the joint effort and the role played by CERF. They will consider the recommendations from this after action review to maximize the use of another $5 million grant from the CERF, which has been allocated to the Philippines in December 2017 to address the underfunded humanitarian needs of the displaced people and host communities.
2017 humanitarian response in review
In the beginning of 2017, heavy rains in Mindanao brought major damage to homes, schools, infrastructure and agriculture. The country was also plagued with frequent earthquakes that were felt throughout the year, with the strongest in Surigao del Norte and Leyte province. The country was almost spared from a major storm for the year, but in mid-December, Tropical Storm Kai-Tak (locally known as Urduja) made landfall in Eastern Samar province, to be followed within days by Severe Tropical Storm Tembin (Vinta). Both storms caused severe flooding and landslides, prompted local governments to declare a state of calamity affecting 1.5 million people. A
rmed conflict in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur caused over 300,000 people to flee to host communities and evacuation centres mostly in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur. While the conflict ended in October 2017, displacement continues into 2018, with the city center completely destroyed. The Government is developing a comprehensive recovery and rehabilitation plan. The Mindanao Humanitarian Team continues to support the Marawi City local government in identifying durable solutions for the transfer of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in evacuation centres to temporary shelters.