UN Philippines Sustains Recovery Work, Launches Exhibit 6 Months After Typhoon Odette

United Nations Philippines is now focused on giving support to local government units to carry out recovery activities six months after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) and three months after the government ended the response phase back in April.

UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez, in a press release on July 20, said, "The Humanitarian Community will continue its support to the affected communities to ensure that progress made in the last six months is not rolled back."

According to Gonzalez, more than 1.2 million people have gotten support, namely in agriculture, from the UN and its humanitarian partners. This included cash-for-work activities in Bohol and Southern Leyte to renew the residents’ fishing and farming livelihoods.

However, he also shared that damaged homes due to the typhoon still hover over 2.1 million. The revised Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) plan, led by the Humanitarian Country Team in the Philippines back in February, has pledged to give assistance to over 800,000 people in Caraga, Southern Leyte, Cebu, and Bohol. Shelter assistance was also given to more than 200,000 households, and kitchen items, sleeping kits, and lights were provided to over 60,000 families.

Nevertheless, more than 3,000 people are still displaced in Regions VI, VII, VIII, MIMAROPA, and Caraga. Gonzalez said resettlement sites must be prepared for them.

On another note, the UN Philippines also launched a photo exhibition to mark six months since Typhoon Odette made landfall. Titled "Typhoon Odette Six Months On," the exhibit was launched on July 20 at the Instituto Cervantes in Intramuros.

Hosted by the Embassy of Spain, the Instituto Cervantes, and AECID and coordinated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the photo exhibit aims to "raise awareness of the increase in the occurrence of disasters as a direct impact of climate change and its effects on the development of societies."

"Typhoon Odette Six Months On" is open to the public until Aug. 20 as a nod to World Humanitarian Day on Aug. 19.