MANILA, Philippines- Amidst the devastation and ruin wrought by Supertyphoon “Yolanda’’ (international name Haiyan), the Philippine representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) urged the Filipino people to stay strong and keep the spirit of “bayanihan” alive.
“We have to focus, all of us,” said UNHCR representative Bernard Kerblat during a press briefing Monday at the United Nations Information Center.
“Bickering and finger-pointing are not needed this time, we have to focus, the bayanihan spirit must be preserved for our kababayan.”
Although with 10 days into the relief efforts and with numerous countries offering help, Kerblat said that “it will take years” before Tacloban gets back to normalcy.
“In the severity, the impact, the logistical nightmare, we are not talking about months, we are talking about years before that portion of territory of this beautiful country can get back to its feet.”
A rescuer carry a patient in Daanbantayan in northern Cebu during super typhoon Yolanda. TONEE DESPOJO/CDN FILE PHOTO
According to Kerblat, despite the international aid coming into the country and the efforts from the United Nations, the Philippine government is still leading the efforts in the areas devastated by the supertyphoon.
“The Philippine government is on the driver’s seat, especially the Department of Social Welfare and Development. We are merely passengers in the bus and we are here to complement the effort.”
A logistical nightmare
Julie Hall of the World Health Organization said that the relief effort is a “massive operation.”
“Nobody can get through the roads, it was a logistical nightmare, now we have helicopters, and the situation is gradually improving.”
Though relief supplies are coming in, Hall stressed that the WHO are preparing for the worst, an outbreak of disease coming from the refugees.
Hall said that the WHO will conduct a massive vaccination drive starting this week for measles and polio.
“Very few children are fully protected from measles so they are very vulnerable and some of the children are already suffering from malnutrition and if they get measles there’s a high chance that they might die.
“Water supply is very important, the faster clean water gets to the people the better since it can prevent the outbreak.”