EDITORIAL - The next phase of suffering

Until bodies have been identified and claimed by relatives, health officials are reportedly not recommending mass burials in the typhoon-ravaged areas of Leyte. The dead, however, must be properly preserved if burial will have to wait several days.

Proper preservation of the dead is just one of the steps needed as disaster mitigation officials confront the possible spread of diseases in the typhoon-hit areas. Disease outbreaks often follow the worst natural calamities in this country as homes are destroyed and evacuees overwhelm government facilities. The flu, dengue, skin infections and water-borne diseases such as diarrhea afflict many evacuees. Leptospirosis can claim lives.

The next phase of suffering for disaster victims can be almost as awful as the actual event. Apart from the risk of disease outbreaks, victims often lose their sources of livelihood, and it can take a long time to recover. Education is disrupted for thousands of students. Even those with money to rebuild ruined homes often have to wait a long time before the necessary construction materials become available.

Emergency response capabilities have improved over the years, but long-term recovery efforts need more work. Tacloban City and other areas are reeling from Super Typhoon Yolanda even as the nation is still providing assistance to areas hit recently by the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Bohol and Cebu. Zamboanga City has barely started its recovery from the weeks-long siege by members of the Moro National Liberation Front.

With bodies still unclaimed in Leyte, another weather disturbance is reportedly approaching Mindanao and may affect the areas devastated by Yolanda. A state of national calamity declared yesterday by President Aquino is expected to speed up the relief effort. Long-term recovery programs must also be given priority and intensified.