Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) Rapid Assessment Report

Dulag Municipality/Assessment team: David Brickey Bloomer/Date of report: November 18, 2013

1. Executive summary (not more than1 page)

Please see sit rep for overview

Numbers of affected children: see figures below. We assume that our target will be all the children in these Barangays

Significant indicators: significant numbers of children are begging along the road south of Tacloban exacerbating their vulnerability to exploitation (labour, trafficking, GBV); schools that have not been 100% destroyed in Dulag Municipality are being used as evacuation centres—schools are primarily housing mothers with very young children and the elderly; no safe activity spaces (structures) available in Dulag Municipality although some structures could be salvageable at some point in the future (for example, structures without roofs could be used with a proper shelter assessment and tarpaulins); however, most communities have a basketball court and/or common space (both grassy areas and concrete) where tents can be erected and used for CFS; pyschosocial distress is not overt based on limited observations and discussions with parents/adults and children; however psychosocial support activities are warranted, including sessions with parents/caregivers on how to communicate with their children in the aftermath of a disaster; physical safety hazards are many for children with electrical wires, fires burning debris, fallen treess, collapsed houses, etc.—safe play areas need to be utilised immediately.

Major needs and risks:Establishing CFS/Safe Spaces for Children in affected barangays; incorporating basic learning activities into the CFS schedule of activities in coordination with Education programme. We desperately need procurements of tents for CFS’ as well as CFS kits. We need to start with a minimum of 50 kits and tents to be procured as soon as possible.

Top-linerecommendations: CFS/Psychosocial First Aid (PFA)activities to begin immediately in 8 Barangays in Dulag;identification/training of CSO partners and community volunteers within the next week; instigate psychosocial support/PFA through trained CSO partner staff and provide technical support; coordination with education activities as part of overall CFS programme; together with CSO partners/Barangays assess the need for establishment of semi-permanent child friendly spaces (CFS) and support establishment if deemed necessary; facilitate and/or support basic positive care giving awareness raising sessions with parents and non-primary care givers in affected communities; facilitate and/or support basic health/hygiene and sanitation awareness sessions.

2. Introduction

Brief background overview

See sit reps and other background reports

Save the Children’scurrent and past activities / partnershipsin the area of assessment

  • Distribution teams have visited the areas on previous days. No CP activities are visible in Dulag Municipality. We are welcomed to start basic activities for children by all the Barangays and by the Municipality authorities.

Overview of assessment team’s itinerary and brief details of methodology used (e.g. how many interviews/discussions, with who and where?)

  • November 19: visited Dulag Municipality and the following Barangays: Sungi, Buntay, Rizal, Luan, Sabang. Observation reports; briefs conversations interviews with Barangay Captains, children, parents and caregivers. Together with FSL and WASH advisors

Summary of constraints faced by assessment team:

  • Limited access prior due to lack of vehicles and CP team in place; from tomorrow we will have 3 additional CP-focused staff

3. Findings, recommendationsand analysis

Dulag Municipality[1] / Children 1-4 / Children 5-9 / 10-14 / 15-19
5,645 / 7,455 / 6,996 / 5,447
School Going Age Children / Primary (6-10 years of age) / Intermediate (11-12 years of age) / Secondary (13-16 years of age) / Tertiary (17-21 years of age)
5,872 / 2,231 / 3,969 / 3,986
Barangay / Households/Families / Total individuals / Children 0-5 / 6-12 / 13-17 / Total children
Buntay / 380 / 1,615 / Children 1-4: 104 / 5-9: 158 / 10-14: 150 / 15-19: 112
San Miguel / 380 / 1908 / Children 1-4: 16 / 5-9: 151 / 10-14: 180 / 15-19: 214
Sungi / 410 / 1528
Luan / 180 / 818
Rizal / 480 / 2,415
Sabang / 549
San Rafael / 2,028
San Jose / 4,853

Child Protection:

  • All key informant interviewees noted that there waspsychosocial distressamong children, primarily in the form of fear of another typhoon/inclement weather as well as witnessing/seeing the significant amount of destruction in their communities and around them and still processing what this means. We note that overt signs of psychosocial distress among children were not present although many children told us that they still felt quite scared and fearful in the aftermath. Many parents and caregivers also noted some changes in their children’s behaviours in the form of sadness, some crying and being quite emotional.
  • Children begging on the street; at risk/vulnerable to exploitation: It is noted that we witnessed hundreds of people begging on the main roads running south of Tacloban city in Palo, Tanuan, Tolosaand Dulag—almost all were children between the ages of approximately 6-15 and in some cases older adolescents. Although there are no confirmed reports of trafficking, SGBV, child labour and other forms of exploitation, children are incredibly vulnerable right now as most adults are busy with rebuilding their own lives/structures, etc. and there is very little oversight from adults. There were no visible activities or safe spaces for children in any Barangay/community in Dulag and other Municipalities.
  • Physical safety: The risk to children’s physical safety is great; in the coastal regions south of Tacloban, the devastation of houses is almost 100% complete; there are still downed trees and electrical wires (a huge telecommunications tower has come down in Dulag Municipality) and a tremendous amount of debris. Many children were witnessed mimicking the behaviour of adults by salvaging scrap pieces of wood, corrugated tinand other materials and constructing their own “play” area. Safe spaces are needed in the community to ensure children’s reduced risk to physical safety harms in addition to beginning to conduct psychosocial support and other educational activities.
  • Migration out of the area: It was noted that some parents have migrated to other parts of the country; however, all children have been left in the care of extended family/kinship. Most parents who have evacuated the community did so before the Typhoonand in many cases normally work outside of the region on a regular basis.There were no verified cases of unaccompanied and separated children
  • SGBV: Ensure messaging on risks/vulnerabilities of SGBVin evacuation centres as well as in CFS’ and with parents and caregivers in target communities; coordinate with UNFPA on Women Friendly Spaces if relevant.

Recommended actions and priorities

  • CFS’ will be established in 8 barangays in Dulag Municipality in the coming week: Buntay, San Miguel, Sungi, Luan, Rizal, Sabang, San Rafael, San Jose
  • Focus on the establishment of psychosocial support mechanisms: Save the Children is already in the process of planning Psychosocial First Aid (PFA) activities and training for CSO partner staff (when identified) as well as community volunteers as soon as possible. In the meantime, SC staff will conduct some basic activities with children and will establish key contacts in target barangays. CSO partner staff can then lead on psychosocial support activities, and can pass on trainings with CSO volunteers, in impacted communities. This is initially envisioned as a temporary PFA and CFS operation (PFA/CFS kits, for example, can be procured and placed in tin trunks and stored within the community and tarpaulins may need to be used until tents are secured. Serious consideration should be given to more permanent structures as it is witnessed that schools have been heavily damaged and will most likely not be repaired until January 2014 at the earliest. A first priority, however, establishing CFS’ and mobilising/training local partner staff/volunteers and other community members. For CFS in the city area, we can work with the City Social Work Development Office on the establishment of additional CFS’
  • Positive care giving sessions with parents/caregivers: Working with parents/caregivers on communicating with children and understanding how children cope and respond to distressful situations is part of the overall PFA package.
  • Education: To provide reading and other education-focused activities in CFS/TLS environment in coordination with SC Education programme, Cluster strategy/activities and other actors

Required resources (including staff): James (national CPiE Manager to remain in Tacloban indefinitely; find replacement for 2 other CP staff after one week; bring Will (CP ERP) to Tacloban once space is available. Identification of local partners/volunteers/facilitators is of paramount importance at this time. We have no space for partners coming from outside of Tacloban at this time—can be explored in the future.

Identified risks/threats and constraints:

4. Case studies

5. Logistics and security

Communications: limited internet and phone connections

Transport: car hire

Office, warehouse and accommodation:

Contractors and volunteers:

Market conditions:

Political sensitivities or security risks:

Stocks and equipment required: 50 CFS tents and kits

Other

6. Partner capacity

See above sections

7. Other actors

The government and a number of other international actors are currently engaged in relief operations—primarily food and NFIs. For CP, coordination is ongoing with UNICEF and in Tacloban the City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWDO)

Capacity: Currently looking to identify more local partners with some background/capacity in child-focused programming. City operations will be dependent, primarily, on day care centre workers. Basic PSS and Education technical inputs will be provided.

8. Conclusion

Appendices

Multi-Sector Initial Rapid Assessment Template

Page 1 of 4

[1]Taken from the Dulag Municipality Land Use Planning document; figures are projected for 2014.