Typhoon Haiyan reached landfall on 8th November, and since then 18 Integral Members have been responding bringing relief to the most affected areas. Eight Members are involved operationally, either directly or through partners, and ten are supporting the response through private and institutional fundraising.
Typhoon Haiyan reached landfall on 8th November, and since then 18 Integral Members have been responding bringing relief to the most affected areas. Eight Members are involved operationally, either directly or through partners, and ten are supporting the response through private and institutional fundraising …
Fiona Boshoff, Integral’s Director says, “In a large scale disaster like this one, when the devastation is so pervasive, it is imperative that we join together to provide assistance to as many people as possible.”
Fiona continues, “Our Members have such a wide variety of strengths and expertise – for example, Medair specialise in WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and shelter, MAP International in medicines, and Food for the Hungry and World Renew in immediate relief distribution of food and non-food items. Other Members will have more experience to bring to bear in the rehabilitation phase, where other things are required, like psychosocial support and building construction. Our commitment to this response is long-term, and so our planning is very much with the bigger picture in mind.”
Integral has facilitated 12 teleconferences to date to ensure effective coordination. But there has also been a strong desire expressed from Integral Members to see coordination taken to the next level. With this in mind, an Integral Hub has been formed that will house a multi-agency Integral team in the Philippines. Members have pledged support for this in the form of funds and/or staff.
Activity to date is that Integral Member World Concern mobilised Chris Sheach, their Deputy Director of Disaster Response, to support the formation of the Hub. Chris arrived in Manila on November 14, and connected with fellow Integral Members Medair, Food for the Hungry, Tearfund UK, Tear Netherlands and World Renew. Five Integral Members have sent staff as part of the Hub set up team – and Integral is currently recruiting a team of six to take over staffing for an initial six month period. This new team will cover communications. partner coordination, monitoring and evaluation, finance, and information management.
Peter Howard, Food for the Hungry’s Emergency Response Director, is currently in the Philippines. He says, “It is critical during times of adversity that Christians represent in action the good news of our compassionate and caring God. In this time of terrible loss after Typhoon Haiyan, I am encouraged to be able to say that the church is working together from around the world to bring hope to the Philippines through the local church. Integral and its Members get to be a part of this channel of hope by supporting financially and through global staff joining in solidarity with local people to bring an organised, effective and compassionate response to the typhoon affected communities.”
Peter continues, “Thanks to the Integral partnership, which is requiring humility in putting others first, there is now a large number of international agencies working together to bring life-saving food, water, shelter and health care to the Philippines. This solidarity is not only blessing those in desperate need in the Philippines but is also helping Integral and the global church to remember its calling to put be Christ’s love in action.”
