Philippines - IOM is working closely with the Philippine government and the humanitarian community to assess the damage brought about by Typhoon Bopha ("Pablo") as it battered Mindanao in southern Philippines on Tuesday (04/12). The typhoon lessened  in force from category 5 to a category 3 tropical storm and preliminary reports indicate that there are minimal casualties, with two deaths reported so far. However, with up to 155,000 people evacuated to 187 emergency shelters across Mindanao there was huge disruption to the island.
 
IOM has 20 staff members on the ground who are closely coordinating with government officials, international and local partners to make a comprehensive assessment of the humanitarian needs of the population. Priorities are expected to include blankets and shelter materials. Despite the weakening front the storm caused flooding and some infrastructure damage and the Philippines Government was urgently assessing its needs.
 
As Mindanao not does not fall in the traditional “typhoon belt”, the impact of the storm was all the more traumatic for a population that has little experience in dealing with the impact and aftermath of typhoons and the heavy rains and flooding that inevitably follow. Almost a year ago, on December 16, another tropical storm named Washi struck Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities, also in Mindanao, killing more than 1,000 people and displacing over 100,000 families. So far the damage wrought by Typhoon Bopha does not appear to have surpassed last year’s devastation from Typhoon Washi, but damage to crops and dwellings has yet to be assessed.
 
“What’s troubling is the increased severity of the tropical storms striking parts of the Philippines not normally affected by typhoons,” said José Pimentel Chief of Mission of IOM Philippines and Head of IOM’s global administrative center in Manila. “When extreme weather systems strike ill-prepared and vulnerable populations we need to focus on supporting the building these communities resilience to climate change.”
 
With maximum sustained winds of 175 kph and gustiness of up to 210 kph, Typhoon Bopha is the strongest typhoon to have hit the Philippines in 2012.  Government weather forecaster Jori Loiz said Bopha weakened since it made landfall in Davao Oriental province, but winds remained at 99 miles per hour with gusts of up to 121 mph. Bopha, has a 373-mile-wide rain front and is expected to remain over Philippine territory until Friday.
 
As the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) "Cluster" lead agency for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) in Natural Disasters, IOM’s support for the Philippine government, includes an information management system known as the  Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) which keeps an accurate track of displaced people who arrive in evacuation shelters and emergency camps. The DTM is viewed as an essential tool for organizing a response to emergencies, especially where there are large displacements of people.
 
Latest updates and appeal: http://www.iom.int/cms/philippines
For more information, contact Conrado Navidad, IOM Philippines, Email cnavidad@iom.int.
Climate change and migration in Asia:  www.APMEN.iom.int