EDITORIAL - Rebuilding lives

After being devastated by the storm surge spawned by Super Typhoon Yolanda, many victims face another calamity: the prospect of long-term unemployment. The monster typhoon flattened vast tracts of Leyte and Samar, destroying not only homes and vital infrastructure but also coconut trees that provided livelihood for thousands of families.

Fishing and coconut production were two of the major sources of livelihood for the marginalized communities of the two provinces. Yolanda also disrupted fishing as people shied away from catching anything from waters believed to have claimed thousands of lives at the height of the typhoon.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is calling for donations of seeds to start reviving the coconut plantations. There will be a long wait for the trees to reach full productive capacity, however, and not all of the displaced farmers will get back their employment. A similar problem faced farmers in Compostela Valley and several parts of the Davao provinces when banana plantations were destroyed by a powerful typhoon last year.

One positive aspect of the latest tragedy is the overwhelming amount of assistance that has poured in from around the world for the typhoon-hit areas. This can jump-start the recovery effort. The government, working with several sectors, can help displaced farmers find other sources of livelihood, particularly in the communities where reconstruction is expected to be slow.

Scientists have been tasked to study whether certain areas hit by the storm surge should be declared as permanent danger zones. Residents driven away from these areas by the typhoon will need additional help in settling elsewhere.

Yolanda’s victims welcome the aid that has started reaching them, but there is always uncertainty when one is living on the kindness of others. Restoring victims’ capacity to support themselves and their families is indispensable in rebuilding lives.