CASE STUDY - Typhoon Haiyan

• Typhoon Haiyan was a category 5 super typhoon that hit Southeast Asia in November 2013

  • particularly affected the Philippines
• typhoon Haiyan has incredibly strong winds

  • 230km/h for 10 minutes at a time
  • strongest winds were 315km/h
• storm surges that reaches up to 6 metres
• Primary effects

  6,300 died

  • drowning
  • Severe injuring from falling debris

  30,000 fishing boats were destroyed

  • damaged livelihoods
  • Sources of income lost

  Storm surges flattened and destroyed costal areas

  • 600,000 people displaced
  • 40,000 homes damaged or destroyed

  90% of the city of Tacloban was destroyed

  Strong winds and heavy rain damaged buildings and infrastructure, knocking down power lines and telephone poles. The storm also destroyed crops

  Over 400mm of rain fell in total

  • widespread flooding
  • airports, ports, public services damaged
• secondary effects

  overall 14 million people were affected

  • food, water, and aid shortages
  • affected health & sanitation —> disease

  flooding and heavy rain caused landslides

  • blocked roads
  • slowed relief efforts

  mass burials for thousands of unidentified people had to take place to limit the spread of disease from bodies

  6 million people lost their source of income due to destruction

  • hospitals, shops, schools destroyed
  • looting and violence broke out in Tacloban
• Immediate responses

  International aid organisations and charities responded quickly after the Philippines declared a state of ”national calamity”

  • brought food, water, aid, temporary shelters
• immediate responses

  Philippines Red Cross had pre-positioned emergency supplies

  • rice, canned food, salt, sugar
• immediate responses

  The Red Cross supplied over 1.1 million people with clean water

  • limited outbreak of disease
• Immediate responses

  Over 1,200 evacuation centres were set up to help the homeless
• immediate responses

  Canada and the USA deployed military aircraft’s to assist with the search and rescue of survivors
• Long-term responses

  The UN appealed for £190 million for education and food assistance
• Long-term responses

  the United Nations Development Progamme set up cash-for-work programs

  • paid villagers to clear debris and medical waste
  • helped restore towns
  • provided incomes
• Long-term responses

  the WHO vaccinated thousands of children against diseases

  • diseases did not spread through temporary shelters
• Long-term responses

  Oxfam replaced many fishing boats
• Long-term responses

  the government created a “build back better” strategy

  • 205000 homes would be built to rehome people
  • by 2016, only 1% of the target was reached