Typhoon Haiyan: One Year On

Typhoon Haiyan – one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded – tore through the Visayas region of central Philippines on Friday, November 8, 2013 with deadly force, making landfall five times in the provinces of Eastern Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Panay Island and Palawan. The combination of powerful winds and seawater devastated buildings, communities and families.

Immediately following the disaster, the Canadian Red Cross responded immediately with support from the Government of Canada, by deploying a mobile field hospital along with a team of trained aid workers, to provide critical life-saving care to those affected. The hospital was supported by personnel and material from both the Norwegian Red Cross and Hong Kong Red Cross. The field hospital was set-up in front of the local district hospital in Ormoc, which at the time, was only operating at 20 per cent capacity due to the severe destruction caused by the typhoon.

While present in the city of Ormoc, the Canadian Red Cross field hospital worked closely with local health care staff and the Philippine Red Cross to admit more than 1,200 patients, perform over 100 surgeries and support more than 400 deliveries in the weeks following the disaster. 
 
On February 28, 2014 the Canadian Red Cross concluded its training with staff and volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross, and handed over the field hospital, which included refurbished equipment from the emergency response unit and locally procured medical and technical supplies. This contribution will allow the Philippine Red Cross to provide basic health care to a community of 30,000 people in the event of a future emergency.
 
Following the initial emergency health response, the Canadian Red Cross shifted its focus towards providing early recovery support in the form of shelters and livelihood support. 

In the past year, the Red Cross has made significant progress supporting those who were worst affected by assisting to rebuild their homes, lives and communities.

For information on how your donation is being used to support typhoon-affected communities in the Philippines, read the one year donor report.
  
In addition, the following video provides a look at the experiences of Red Cross aid workers, volunteers, and local health care staff who were involved in the field hospital response following this devastating disaster.
 
The Canadian Red Cross is committed to supporting impacted communities in the Philippines as they continue to rebuild, through collaborative and sustainable operations.