Resilience and hope highlight Typhoon Haiyan anniversary

One year on from deadly storm, World Vision helps Filipinos rebuild their future

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 7, 2014 /CNW/ - As the people of the Philippines pause tomorrow to mark the one-year anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan, World Vision continues to provide support and assistance to the survivors of the deadly storm. The typhoon, the strongest ever to have made landfall, struck the Philippines on November 8, 2013, killing more than 6,300 people, injuring thousands of others and displacing millions from their homes.

In the aftermath of the storm, World Vision teams were on the ground in the affected areas, providing food and non-food emergency supplies and temporary shelter kits. Over the past 12 months, emphasis has shifted from immediate relief to recovery efforts, focusing on providing cash-for-work and durable shelters for families, as well as learning kits for students and teachers. Thousands of children were helped through our Child-friendly Spaces and many of these facilities are still in use as temporary classrooms.

Quotes:

"It is important to remember those who lost their lives last year, and to honor the survivors' courage, tenacity and strength," says World Vision's Haiyan response manager Andrew Rosauer. "It is also a time to acknowledge the people who are still finding it difficult to adjust to losing loved ones, their homes, and their livelihoods."

"There are still many challenges ahead as we work with the communities to restore livelihoods and to prepare for disasters yet to come," adds Rosauer. "We are continuing to work directly with affected communities to enable survivors to restore their dignity by being directly involved in their own recovery."

"The Government of Canada and individual Canadians combined to generously contribute more than $14 million to World Vision's Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts," says World Vision Canada president and CEO Dave Toycen. "We want to thank them and let them know that their donations are still helping survivors of the storm to rebuild their lives."

Fast Facts:

• World Vision reached more than 1 million Filipinos in the relief and recovery phases of the Typhoon Haiyan response over the past 12 months, including more than 470,000 children.
• Protecting children is a top priority for World Vision during emergencies. Over 50 Child-friendly Spaces were set up, providing safe spaces for more than 21,000 children in five Philippine provinces.
• More than 100,000 adults got financial help or retraining through World Vision's cash-for-work and livelihood programs, including livestock replacement, vocational training and business start-up kits.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. Visit our News Centre at worldvision.ca

SOURCE: World Vision Canada

Media Contact: Bob Neufeld (Mobile: [phone]), [email protected]