Global Disaster Response in the Philippines:
A case study
Miriam Aschkenasy MD, MPH
Deputy Director of Global Disaster Response,
MGH Center for Global Health
September 8th, 2014
Overview
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What is a disaster?
What does the humanitarian sector look like?
Current standards and frameworks
Case Study in the Philippines
Overview

Frameworks and Standards

Civil and Military Engagement

UN Coordination

Professionalization
What is a disaster?
An event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great
damage or loss of life.
It’s about the most vulnerable
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42 million displaced people worldwide
80% of displaced populations are women and
children
Mortality rates of displaced are 6-60 times those
pre-displacement
What does the humanitarian sector look like?
MULTIDISCIPLINARY
STANDARDS
PARTNERS
COMMUNITY
What does the humanitarian sector look like?
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UN
INGO’s
NGO
Central Government
Regional and local
Government
ICRC/IFRC
Military
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Academic institutions
Community based
organizations
Religious groups
Spontaneous
volunteers
Beneficiaries
Donors
Other countries
International
Standards
and Best Practices
UN Coordination
UN OCHA
United
Nations
Office For the
Coordination of
Humanitarian
Affairs
Health specific

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58th world health assembly enacted international
health regulations*
IASC – inter agency standing committee
humanitarian reforms in 2005, 2011
 WHO
becomes health sector cluster lead
 WHO supports member states in preparedness and
relief
 Developing performance standards and providing
technical expertise
Frameworks and Standards
Civil – Military Engagement
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What works?

What doesn’t work?
Professionalization …
Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)
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Category 5 “Super Storm”
November 8, 2013
Peak intensity with ten-minute sustained winds of
145 mph
Killed at least 6,201 people in the Philippines
The strongest storm EVER recorded at landfall and
unofficially the strongest typhoon ever recorded in
terms of wind speed.
92 million
total population of the
Philippines (as of 2010)
50 million
total population of the
nine regions hit by Typhoon
Haiyan
11.3 million
people affected in these
nine regions (as of 12
November)
673,000
displaced (as of 12
November)
Sources: Republic of the Philippines
National Statistics Office; National
Statistical Coordination Body
(NSCB); Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD)
Typhoon Aftermath
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Unique aspects of this response
UN Coordination
CENTRAL
COMMAND
-Regional
government
with support
from UN
-Clusters
-INGO’s/NGO
-Military
Frameworks and Standards
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FMT REGISTRATION
Arriving at the
airport
Civil-Military Engagement
Local
government
would not
allow teams to
travel without
military or
police escort
Acted as
translators,
crowd control,
& facilitated
transfers to
hard to reach
areas
Professionalization
Clinical
guidelines
Surveillance
Data
reporting
Monitoring
stock
Appropriate
medications
Thank you!
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