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 , B-roll | OCHA
Gaza: ‘Worst-case scenario’ unfolds as two-month aid blockade deepens suffering - OCHA
Two months into a devastating aid blockade of Gaza food has run out and people are fighting over water amid relentless bombing, the UN’s humanitarian affairs coordination office (OCHA) said on Friday.
/Includes OCHA footage from Gaza City/
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA
Children in Gaza are going to bed starving, says aid agency
The biggest UN aid agency in Gaza on Tuesday condemned the two-month Israeli blockade on Gaza that has left families sharing a single tin of food at mealtime and the sick and injured without lifesaving medical help, amid daily bombardment.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR
Ongoing Russian attacks in Ukraine force frontline areas to empty: UNHCR
With Ukrainian cities still reeling from this week’s deadly Russian missile and drone attacks, communities on the front line continue to be targeted too, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said on Friday. “We also see attacks on frontline regions increasing and it's, as always, civilians that are bearing the highest cost of the war,” said Karolina Lindholm Billing, UNHCR Representative in Ukraine.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
Funding and supply shortfalls for the UN World Food Programme (WFP)'s work in Ethiopia will halt lifesaving treatment for 650,000 malnourished women and children at the end of the month. “We are at the breaking point,” it said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians, the UN Human Rights Office warned today.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNWOMEN , UNDP
Sudan: Aid teams report massive displacement after latest Darfur atrocity; women’s bodies ‘turned into battlegrounds’
In Sudan’s North Darfur, tens of thousands of people have fled a displacement camp following the massacre of civilians and aid workers as the country enters the third year of a conflict marked by horrific levels of sexual violence, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITC
Global trade could shrink by three per cent as a result of the United States’ new tariff measures which in the longer term could reshape and boost as-yet untapped regional commercial links, a top UN economist confirmed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Warring parties in Sudan are overseeing a wholesale assault on human rights amid global inaction, the UN Human Rights Office said on Friday, as the conflict is about to enter its third year.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said Israel’s increasing issuance of so-called “evacuation orders” for Palestinians in Gaza have resulted in their forcible transfer.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNHCR , UNWOMEN , WFP , WHO
Two years of war in Sudan have created epic suffering, aid agencies say
Two years since Sudan’s brutal conflict began, UN agencies warned that famine is spreading and civilians of all ages continue to suffer shocking abuse, including rape and gang rape.
1
1
Edited News | UNMAS
In Gaza, ongoing Israeli military operations and the aid blockade have continued to add to daily fears and hardships confronting those in the devastated enclave, the UN Mine Action Service, UNMAS, said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP
Dangers grow for Myanmar earthquake survivors, health system 'overwhelmed' - UNDP
In earthquake-shattered central Myanmar people are sleeping in the streets in fear of buildings collapsing, facing early monsoon rains and the risk of waterborne diseases, the UN Development Programme warned on Tuesday.