WHO launches photo campaign for Yolanda victims

MANILA, Philippines - While US President Barack Obama was criticized for taking a “selfie” during the wake of African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, the World Health Organization (WHO) turns to pictures to show support for the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The WHO launched the “Health at the Heart of Healing,” an advocacy campaign encouraging the public to take pictures of their “heartie” hand gesture and post them on social media and other avenues.

WHO representative in the Philippines Julie Hall said the campaign is designed to draw attention and generate support to address health issues affecting the communities hit by Yolanda.

She noted that while numerous individuals, agencies and governments are taking part in efforts to help the victims in various ways, “looking after their health should be of foremost concern.”

“In the process of helping these people get their lives back together, we should always put health at the heart of healing,” she said.

She urged people to flash a heartie to express their “solidarity and support for the healing efforts of Typhoon Yolanda survivors, particularly in the initiatives to build health infrastructure and healthcare systems in these areas better than they ever have been.”

“Everybody can show that they care for these families in whichever way they are able, whether by lending material or financial support, or simply by participating in this worthy advocacy,” she added.

UN mulls cash-for-work program

Meanwhile, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) plans to implement cash- and food-for-work activities for around 500,000 survivors in Yolanda-hit areas to support infrastructure rehabilitation, agricultural land recovery and development activities.

The WFP said much work is still needed to clear debris, rehabilitate community infrastructure and recover agricultural land to allow long-term recovery and development activities to take effect.

“WFP’s cash-for-work and food-for-work programs give people the support they need to feed their families, while at the same time providing a benefit to the whole community,” said Samir Wanmali, WFP emergency coordinator. “We will support families to clear debris and drainage systems and prepare land for replanting.”

Three months after Yolanda devastated the Philippines, more than 2.8 million people have received emergency food and nutrition support through the WFP in partnership with the Philippine government, non-government organizations and UN agencies.

In the coming weeks, the WFP will help families rebuild their livelihoods while continuing to meet the immediate needs of the most vulnerable.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Luiza Carvalho also called on donors to provide an additional $19 million for urgent shelter needs, health, education and early recovery efforts in areas in Bohol devastated by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake on Oct. 15 last year.

According to the UN Humanitarian Country Team’s revised action plan, the requested funding for Bohol is $33.8 million, compared to $46.8 million in the original plan announced in October.

Donors have provided $15.1 million for the action plan for Bohol, covering the six months from the time of the earthquake to April 15.

“We are continuing to support the authorities’ efforts on many fronts and will not forget the plight of people affected in Bohol,” Carvalho said.

Yolanda survivors moving into bunkhouses

As this developed, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said that families in Tacloban City rendered homeless by Yolanda have started moving into the bunkhouses built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DSWD-Field Office 8 and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) led the transfer of some 50 families from Barangay Baloc 1 last Thursday to the temporary bunkhouses built at the Motocross area, bringing to 105 the number of families transferred to DPWH-built shelters. – With Pia Lee-Brago, Rainier Allan Ronda, Christina Mendez