Pandemic impedes Philippines typhoon relief

By Robin Gomes

Known locally as Ambo, Typhoon Vongfong slammed the Philippines on Thursday, sending tens of thousands of people fleeing to cramped shelters.

The UN emergency humanitarian relief agency (OCHA) fears that without proper safety precautions in place, evacuation centres could become hotbeds of coronavirus infection.

After making landfall on the eastern island of Samar, the category-3 typhoon continued to the island of Masbate before wreaking havoc northwest towards mainland Luzon – where some 60 million people are under extended COVID-19 quarantine.

The heavy winds and rain destroyed hundreds of buildings along with crops and fishing boats, while physical distancing rules have complicated the rescue of some 200,000 people who are at risk from flooding or landslides.

Pandemic compounds natural disaster 

With large parts of the country under movement restrictions and lockdowns, UN humanitarians are worried that the pandemic could impede emergency response efforts.

“The storm is also expected to affect Metro Manila and Laguna province, both areas declared as COVID-19 hotspots with a high number of confirmed cases”, OCHA said.

And with over 7,600 cases, the National Capital Region has almost 65 per cent of all confirmed occurrences in the country, raising concerns of accelerated transmission should residents need to be evacuated from these densely populated, flood-prone areas.

Double challenge

The Government is leading Typhoon Vongfong preparedness and response efforts. However, local officials are pointing to the double challenge of keeping their residents safe from both the typhoon and COVID-19, while noting the difficulty in maintaining physical distancing throughout temporary shelters.

A spokesperson for the Office of Civil Defense in Manila, Mark Timbal, called it “a unique situation” because it is the first time the country is facing a natural hazard while dealing with a health pandemic.

Several local governments have ordered that evacuation centres be filled only to half capacity, to stop the virus from spreading.

The Catholic Church on the main Philippine island of Luzon has offered its churches and institutions as evacuation centres and shelters, while some shopping malls have offered their spaces as well.

The Philippines' health ministry on Saturday reported 11 more coronavirus deaths and 214 additional infections. This brings the total of confirmed cases up to 12,305, mostly in the capital, with 817 deaths.   

The government on Saturday started relaxing its lockdown in the capital and other major cities to slowly restart an economy weighed down by quarantine measures.

UN response

OCHA, meanwhile, is in touch with national authorities and partners in the affected areas to make needs assessments.

So far, the most pressing requirements are for food relief items, face masks, sanitation supplies in evacuation centres and livelihood support for affected farmers.

The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, averaging some 22 tropical cyclones a year, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (Source: UN News)