In the wake of destruction caused by the five-day passage of Typhoon Bopha, locally known as Pablo, through the southern Philippines in December 2012, more than 1,100 lives were lost, 233,000 houses damaged or destroyed and 6.3 million people affected. Typhoon Bopha was the strongest typhoon to ever hit the Mindanao Island of the Philippines, making landfall as a Category Five super typhoon.
After the disaster, the IFRC and ICRC launched emergency appeals to support the Philippine Red Cross as did the Canadian Red Cross. It has now been six months since the typhoon passed through but the recovery continues. This video created by the ICRC provides a look at how a field hospital was set up in Bislig, Mindanao as a part of the response and recovery. The Canadian Red Cross supported eight delegates including Esther Yiu, who is profiled in this video. This month, the Philippine Red Cross, with support from the IFRC, will launch the first phase of a project that will help 2,500 people rebuild studier homes that are more resilient to typhoons.
This video also provides an understanding of how the Red Cross Basic Health Care Unit maintains health services in a complex emergency like Typhoon Bopha.
We want to thank our donors and the Government of Canada for their contribution towards the operations that were carried out by the ICRC, IFRC and Canadian Red Cross in response to Typhoon Bopha.