IOM is providing emergency shelter support to help thousands of
families displaced by a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the
central Philippines earlier this month.

IOM has released an initial USD 10,000 (Php 427,450) to provide
quick-impact emergency shelter assistance in the worst hit province
of Negros Oriental, which bore most of the impact and where up to
43,000 people were forced to seek temporary shelter in open spaces
and public buildings.

Shortly after the disaster, IOM participated in a damage and
needs assessment with the Philippines Government and the
Humanitarian Country Team, deploying staff on the ground to
implement an emergency shelter and camp management support
programme to support the government in its overall response.

Partnering with UNICEF and the country's Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD), IOM is providing 230 emergency
shelter kits in evacuation centres and affected communities.
Tarpaulins donated by UNICEF are being complemented with wood or
bamboo framing provided by IOM to construct safer temporary
shelters.

IOM staff and DSWD engineers are overseeing the construction of
all emergency shelters, which with the government's cash for work
programme, is providing internally displaced persons (IDPs) with
emergency livelihood assistance as they rebuild their homes and
lives.

So far, IOM has completed the construction of 40 emergency
shelter units in Guihulngan High School, set up cooking areas, and
repaired latrines to improve living conditions for IDPs inside
evacuation sites. Eleven more shelters are currently being
constructed, while more sites are being identified by the
government. IOM is also supporting DSWD in organizing camp
management committees in the IDP sites.

Late last week, IOM partnered with OCHA and DSWD to give
training on Camp Management and Data Management to the field staff
of DSWD deployed to augment the human resources of the local
government units managing the response.

The earthquake struck shortly before noon on 6 February 2012,
triggering deadly landslides in Negros Oriental and affecting
57,126 families in 174 villages in the region. Authorities said 43
persons were killed while 63 others are still missing.

According to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council, 14,432 houses were damaged by the
earthquake and that total damages to roads, bridges and public
buildings are over USD 8.4 million.

Many of the displaced are residents of mountain villages where
landslides buried houses. The latest displacement report shows that
52 IDP sites housing 3,782 families still need help in the towns of
Guihulngan, La Libertad, Jimalud and Tayasan.

IOM is looking at mobilizing funds to distribute essential
non-food items including hygiene kits, household items, and kitchen
utensils to about 2,000 families,  install temporary latrines
and bathing cubicles to the IDP sites and provide psychosocial
support to about 500 persons in evacuation centers and affected
remote communities.

For more information, please contact:

Dave Bercasio

IOM Philippines

Tel: +63.908.865.4546

E-mail: "mailto:dbercasio@iom.int">dbercasio@iom.int