Providing Clean Water During An Emergency

International Medical Corps and DayOne response partnered in 2012 to bring DayOne’s innovative Waterbag to disaster-prone communities through a pre-positioning and training program. The DayOne Waterbag - a ten liter water backpack - provides all four elements of municipal water supply: collection, transport, treatment, and protected storage. It is designed for use with Proctor & Gamble's globally distributed flocculation-chlorination treatment packets - P&G's Purifier of Water. While plans have been underway to deploy DayOne Waterbags to disaster-prone communities in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, and Kenya, the catastrophic nature of Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines created an overwhelming and urgent need for a viable clean-water solution that the Waterbag could help fill. In response, International Medical Corps and DayOne quickly deployed more than 200 bags and designed a training program for some of the most vulnerable populations following the Typhoon.

One of the most powerful typhoons on record, Super Typhoon Haiyan left widespread devastation, affecting an estimated 16 million men, women and children, including displacing some 4.4 million people. International Medical Corps was on the ground within 24 hours of Typhoon Haiyan making landfall, providing emergency medical services to some of the most remote communities, many of which had yet to receive relief or health care. Despite large-scale efforts to rehabilitate water systems in the affected areas, many rural and remote regions still lack clean sources of water today. People may have to walk up to 10 miles to access clean water, or rely on unsafe water sources including surface water or open wells. Getting water to people –and storing it – is also a challenge, and limited water storage capacity throughout storm-affected areas is making it difficult for families to meet their daily water needs.

International Medical Corps responded to this urgent need in the Philippines by transporting and distributing approximately 220 of DayOne Response’s Waterbags and 12,000 P&G Purifier of Water sachets to families affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the villages of Lanauan, Cadahunan and Oguisan on the Island of Leyte, ultimately providing clean water to approximately 3,400 people. International Medical Corps distributed the Waterbags through its mobile health services and provided a one-hour training on their use at each distribution point.