The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Typhoon’s impact on Philippines hugely reduced by pre-emptive measures, UN says
Typhoon Goni’s impact on the Philippines last week would have been far worse if not for a widescale evacuation and other damage-mitigation actions taken before the storm hit, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, Gustavo Gonzalez, said on Tuesday.
“If we take into account the latest from the government in terms of impact on people, the numbers are 25 dead, 399 injured, seven missing. And this relatively small death toll shows that, again, early actions taken by the government to mitigate the impact were very successful”, Mr. Gonzalez told a regular briefing of journalists in Geneva via videolink.
The country has worked hard to improve its early warning systems and preparedness since Typhoon Haiyan claimed over 6,000 lives in November 2013.
“We are learning from Haiyan, and this is an example of resilience building, the importance of these early warnings and this massive, huge pre-emptive evacuation, and this is one of the reasons for the low numbers of casualties”, Mr. Gonzalez said.
“Of course, there is a sentiment of suffering and deprivation, but at the same time people start rebuilding their houses, particularly in the coast, that was the most affected by the by the typhoon. So this is perhaps the positive side of the resilience building. But again, we enter into the season of typhoons, we have La Niña also as a threat.”
On Monday, the United Nations launched a $45.5 million appeal to support some 260,000 disaster-affected people, many of whom were already living in poverty prior to the disaster wrought by Typhoon Goni, which is known locally as Rolly.
“We need to ensure that the least for the coming three months we respond to the needs of the most affected groups. So this is the time we need resources, and we would like to count on your support in making sure that we advocate for this contribution to the response plan in the field”, Mr. Gonzalez said.
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying, a cloudy day.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Gustavo Gonzalez, Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines: “If we take into account the latest from the Government in terms of impact on people, the numbers is 25 dead, 399 injured, seven missing. And this relatively small death toll shows that, again, early actions taken by the Government to mitigate the impact were very successful.”
- Exterior close-up, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying, a cloudy day.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Gustavo Gonzalez, Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines: “We are learning from Haiyan, and this is an example of resilience building, the importance of these early warnings and this massive, huge pre-emptive evacuation, and this is one of the reasons for the low numbers of casualties.”
- Exterior medium shot, United Nations flag flying in the Palais des Nations grounds.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Gustavo Gonzalez, Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines: “Of course there is a sentiment of suffering and deprivation, but at the same time people start rebuilding their houses, particularly in the coast, that was the most affected by the by the typhoon. So, this is perhaps the positive side of the resilience building. But again, we enter into the season of typhoons, we have La Niña also as a threat.”
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations entrance building, low-angle shot.
- SOUNDBITE (English) — Gustavo Gonzalez, Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines: “We need to ensure that the least for the coming three months we respond to the, to the needs of the most affected groups. So this is the time we need resources, and we would like to count on your support in making sure that we advocate for this contribution to the response plan in the field.”
- Exterior wide shot, Palais des Nations flag alley, nations’ flags flying, low-angle shot.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF
At least six million people in Somalia are going days without enough food, UN aid teams warned on Friday, highlighting that nearly two million of this number are young children “at high risk of illness or death”.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO
Children shot, stabbed and pepper-sprayed in occupied West Bank; scores of Gaza amputees denied prosthetics, aid teams warn
Israeli military operations and surging settler attacks in the occupied West Bank are killing and maiming Palestinian children, while in Gaza tens of thousands with life-changing injuries lack access to treatment and rehabilitation, UN agencies warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
The risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is “absolutely low”, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , IFRC
Death and destruction have continued unabated in Lebanon while communities are still unable to return to their homes despite a ceasefire that began on 17 April, humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Deadly hantavirus on board cruise ship may be transmitted among humans - WHO
Hantavirus victims on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean may have been infected prior to joining the cruise and human-to-human transmission on board cannot be ruled out – although it is rare - the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN rights chief concerned by upheld convictions of Cambodian activists.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , OHCHR
Middle East crisis puts aid, food, fuel further out of reach for millions already struggling – UN agencies
As the Middle East crisis continues the humanitarian fallout is worsening, with aid route disruptions and food and fuel price hikes wrecking the lives and rights of the most vulnerable, UN agencies warned on Friday.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNMAS
Demining experts from around the world have been sharing their collective shock at the widespread and growing threat from unexploded ordnance, the new head of the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office in Syria conducted a 5-day visit to the northeast of the country where they received accounts of human rights violations and abuses.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Sudan: ‘History repeating itself’ for Darfur’s children - UNICEF
Mass atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur 20 years ago reverberated as far as Hollywood, but today, a new generation of children faces attacks, hunger and displacement in an emergency largely ignored by the outside world, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday.
1
1
Edited News | WHO , UNMAS
Desperate and dangerous conditions in Gaza continue to hamper recovery efforts for the wartorn enclave's people, the UN health agency said on Friday, while demining experts warned that they’ve “barely scratched the surface” in assessing the level of contamination of unexploded ordnance.
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News
The continued support of UN Member States to Lebanon will be “indispensable” to boost the country’s national armed forces and provide humanitarian assistance with more than one million people still uprooted by the Middle East war, the UN's peacekeeping chief said on Wednesday.