World Health Organization Director General Margaret Chan visited two evacuation sites upon her visit to the Philippines last November. The DG accompanied by WHO Country Representative Dr. Soe. Nyunt-U witnessed
first hand the health condition of typhoon Ondoy victims in Tunasan, Muntinlupa.
The two evacuation sites she visited were the Muntinlupa Sports Complex which housed 247 people and the Tunasan Elementary School with 181 people.
Dr. Chan personally saw the plight of residents living near the Laguna Lake and talked with the evacuees who were hopeful despite their situation.
All the evacuees lost property and some still have not seen or visited their homes
since water in their area are still waist-deep.
The Director General observed that “the damage caused by these typhoons are unprecedented, even by other countries’ standard. The Philippine government has done a tremendous
job of helping its people get back on its feet.”
She further added that “I am very touched by the spirit of solidarity and resilience you’ve (the Filipino people) shown. You’ve done well. Certainly the days,
months ahead will be challenging. You will need to address a lot of health concerns. diarrhea, respiratory infection, and leptospirosis will have to be contained.”
DONORS AND PARTNERS: USAID, AUSAID, AECID, CIDA, Government of
Finland, EU and ECHO, UNCT, UN OCHA, CERF