2020 Typhoon Relief for the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand

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Last updated: November 18, 2020

In late October and early November, a series of powerful typhoons hit Southeast Asia, causing widespread damage. In the Philippines, four level-4 typhoons landed in four weeks. The super typhoon Goni (known locally as Typhoon Rolly) caused devastation in Bicol Region, with more than 500k displaced and 42 lives lost. The following week, Typhoon Vamco (Typhoon Ulysses) killed 67 and damaged 26,000 homes, making it the deadliest storm of the year to date. The northern part of the country has seen its worst floods in 45 years.

Elsewhere in the region: In Vietnam, at least 25 lives were lost during Typhoon Molave, the strongest storm in decades. Heavy rainfall that affected more than 30 provinces in Thailand and considered as one of the worst floods in decades.  In Cambodia, flash floods, strong winds, landslides, and high tides have compounded the existing COVID-19 crisis.

To date, these storms are severely affecting more than 2.5 million people. The weather situation is expected to remain at high risk until at least the end of the year.

Give2Asia is partnering with trusted local charities in each country that are well-positioned to respond rapidly and also provide long-term recovery. We have established a regional relief fund as well as a dedicated recovery fund for the Philippines.

To make an individual or corporate disaster grant, contact our international grantmaking team or your Give2Asia account manager. You can also donate online to our disaster response fund.

See below for immediate needs and a full situation update by country.

Immediate Needs

Current needs identified by our local nonprofit partners include:

• Food supplies
• Clean drinking water
• Hygiene kit
• Mosquito nets
• Makeshift shelter
• Primary medicine
• Rescue teams to carry elderly or children from flooding area to a safe place.
• Seeds and agricultural tools when water is receded, and farmers need to resume in agriculture and livelihood activities quickly.

Recovery and reconstruction efforts will also be needed to repair the damaged infrastructures, especially houses, roads, schools, health centers, rehabilitation agricultural lands, and ensuring continuous efforts in farming and restore village business activities.

Our Partners’ Response

The Philippines

Save The Children Philippines is preparing to respond to the needs of children and families affected by Typhoon Rolly (the local name for Typhoon Goni in the Philippines). Aid workers are gearing up to respond, as Atty. Alberto Muyot, CEO of Save the children Philippines, explains: “In response we have mobilised a specialist team of 10 aid workers. As soon as it is safe to do so they will be sent to the most impacted parts of Luzon.We know from our experience responding to typhoons and other disasters that it’s crucial we quickly distribute basic life-saving hygiene kits and items like plastic sheeting for shelter.  Food and drinking water will be needed too. In addition to this, we have seven mobile health units ready for deployment.”

Save The Children is appealing for emergency response support of PhP 100,000 to provide the followings for the affected communities:

• PhP 900 Can provide 3 families with 1 water kit each, to ensure that they can access safe drinking water
• PhP 1,200 Can provide 1 pregnant woman with delivery and newborn kit, to help ensure safe delivery and the health of her newborn infant
• PhP 2,500 Can provide 1 family with essential hygiene supplies, including alcohol and face masks, to help family members ward off COVID-19 and other diseases.
• PhP 5,000 Can provide 1 family with a household kit, containing cooking and eating utensils, mats, and blankets, and a plastic sheet that they can use as a temporary shelter.

Caritas Manila is a non-profit organization that serves as the lead social service and development ministry of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. With over 60 years of experience, its core competencies are geared towards human development and poverty alleviation and advocates creating a Christian community with a strong social conscience.

Caritas Manila, through its Caritas Damayan program, is calling for a cash donation to support communities affected by Super Typhoon Rolly. Caritas Manila will be sending financial assistance to the following Dioceses: Dicese of Caceres, Dicese of Daet, Diocese of Gumaca, Diocese of Legazpi and Diocese of Virac. Donations are in forms of Manna Food Bags, Shelter Materials, Clean water, beddings, hygiene items, etc.

The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) will be joining the Joint Rapid Needs Assessment of the Office of Civil Defense and the United Nations Humanitarian Country Team to help assess the humanitarian needs and economic impact of Typhoon Rolly in Catanduanes Island, the hardest hit and most isolated province. Another team will also conduct an assessment in Legazpi, Albay. Based on initial reports, affected communities lack food, water, and hygiene kits. The emergency response donations will also be used for shelter repair kits (CGI sheets, wood, etc.) and tents. The work in Bicol region will also help repair their damaged houses.

Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), established in 1970, is the largest business-led NGO at the forefront of strategic corporate citizenship and business sector leadership, contributing to sustainable development and poverty reduction. PBSP is starting to work in Sto Domingo, Albay and Nabua, Camarines Sur in the Bicol region, and plan to provide emergency food aid at P1,000 per family. The Partner is also parallel working on possible early recovery and rehab (focused on agriculture) interventions.

Vietnam

ActionAid is an international anti-poverty agency working in over 40 countries, taking sides with poor people to end poverty and injustice together. Formed in 1972, it has been growing and expanding for nearly 40 years. The organization works together with communities and use their resources, influence, and experience to find their solutions. In Vietnam, ActionAid has completed a Rapid Needs Assessment in Thua Thien Hue and Quang Tri provinces. The response will target four districts, including Trieu Phong and Hai Lang Districts in Quang Tri Province, and Phong Dien and Quang Dien Districts in Thua Thien Hue Province, reaching 10,795 people, including 375 children. ActionAid Vietnam, with partner organization Aid for Social Protection Foundation Vietnam (AFV), will complement the government efforts with the following interventions:

• Repair shelters, schools, water well, and electricity connection for communities and school
• Provision of hygienic kits to affected communities, including sanitary napkins to women and girls
• Provision of seeds and materials to affected communities to restore livelihoods
• Support the reconstruction/reestablishment of school and shelter infrastructures (water well, classrooms, electricity connection)

Blue Dragon Children Foundation has been distributing emergency food supplies. Their work has reached over 460 families in 10 districts of Hue and some parts of the city that were severely affected by flooding.

In the coming months, they plan to focus on long-term recovery and rebuilding. There are a lot of families who have lost their livelihoods, mostly in agriculture (for example, flooded rice and vegetable fields, lost livestock) and in fishing/fish farming (lost nets and damaged boats and fish farms). Many families have damaged homes, particularly roofs. Many of the over 200 families Blue Dragon Children Foundation work with life in relatively low-quality housing, and it’s easily damaged in a storm.

In the medium term (4-6 months), Blue Dragon Children Foundation wants to support women & families longer-term with microfinance. They collaborate with the Women’s Union to supplement the capital for their very successful microfinance scheme. Like so many families have been affected by COVID-19, and now by the flooding, this will enable long term capital to assist large numbers of vulnerable families to develop sustainable livelihoods and keep their children safe and educated.

Cambodia

Friends-International (FI) is a leading social enterprise established in Cambodia in 1994 to build a future where all children are safe from abuse and can grow to become functional citizens of their countries. Friends work in Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Thailand, and with partners worldwide to develop exciting ways to protect and empower marginalized children.

During this flooding, FI, with their partners (Damnok Toek) in Poit Pet, has carried quick need assessment with flood victims and distributed essential relief responses to their beneficiaries. FI will carry out recovery response In Poipet (Banteay Meanchey province). Floods have hit the poorest and most vulnerable worst due to their already precarious living circumstances. Often living in dilapidated conditions, many of their homes were destroyed during the flooding. They had no choice but to seek refuge at Poipet Railway Station. Damnok Toek’s assessment of 19 October 2020 showed more than 800 children and 631 families now living in unsanitary conditions in the station.

In addition to immediate relief in the coming days and weeks, these families and those affected elsewhere will need support to rebuild, recover, and crucially, increase their resilience to future disasters. Funding needs are more than $50,000, and donation could support Friends and our partners to implement activities including:

• Employment assistance, apprenticeships, job placement, and business start-up for families who have lost their income.
• Provision of child-friendly community spaces providing vulnerable children with a safe space and education support.
• Needs-based material support, including school materials, hygiene essentials, materials to repair homes, etc.

Bareebo stands for “Enough: Water, Food, Ability.” Bareebo works with low-income families with an average annual household income of US$600 in rural Banan district, Battambang province, about 300km, north-west of Cambodia, addressing issues of water quality, supply or availability, food security, and local capacity to adapt to a changing climate and a modernizing economy.

In response to the current flooding, Bareebo, the CDC, and local authorities in Banan District would like to rebuild people’s lives through the Crop Assistance Project (CAP). The CAP proposes to support 200 low-income households (1,050 human beings) in Banan District by purchasing seeds for rice, corn, and vegetables, and cuttings for cassava crops and distributing them to affected households. To achieve this ambitious goal, Bareebo and the Banan District people ask for a total of USD 20,000.

Thailand

Raks Thai Foundation (Raks Thai), also known as CARE Thailand, is a member of CARE International and a non-governmental organization committed to strengthening the capacity of poor and disadvantaged communities and analyze root causes of problems, determine suitable solutions, and participate in development. It has been working in Thailand since 1979.

Raks Thai have been providing emergency relief in various disaster situations and will continue to support the affected communities via three main recovery efforts: reducing risks via community development plan, capacity building in coping, response and managing the impact natural disasters, and create community-led contingency plan to reduce the risks.

Photo courtesy of Judgefloro / Wikimedia Commons