Oxfam's Relief Response to Typhoon Mangkhut

Typhoon Mangkhut entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on September 13, 2018, with maximum sustained winds of 127 m/h near the center of the storm and gusts of up to 151 m/h, making it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Cagayan in Region II and the provinces in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are the most affected areas with significant flooding and damage to shelters, agricultural crops, and roads. Currently, 3,029,062 individuals (or 730,596 families) are affected in Regions I, II, III, NCR, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, and CAR. Government figures show a total of 82 casualties, 138 injured, and 2 people still missing.

To date, more than 3,000 individuals have been reached with jerry can distributions, hygiene promotion, nutrition education, and cash programming through Oxfam’s local partners the Citizens Disaster Response Center (CDRC) and the Humanitarian Response Consortium (HRC). Oxfam and its partners are targeting over 7,000 families with cash transfers in support of agriculture and asset recovery. Profiling is still ongoing to reach more families.

Story about Magdalena: Magdalena, 27, is a wife and a mother of two little girls. Her family’s source of income is farming. When Typhoon Mangkhut ravaged all their farmland, they were left with no choice but to sell fern leaves in exchange for rice and basic seasonings like salt and sugar to get by. Magdalena is one of the 500 families that received a multipurpose cash grant to meet their immediate needs, including one month’s supply of nutritious food.

“With the money I received, I will be able to buy food for my family, especially my two children, until we plant again and wait for the harvest.” shared Magdalena.