On the ground in the areas battered six months ago by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, it’s quite overwhelming to digest what’s happening, what questions to ask, what the needs and how these are being addressed.
When I visited last week three communities in the hardest-hit city of Tacloban and the provinces of Leyte and Western Samar, the first thing I learned was how everyone — from aid workers trying to figure out whether to install communal or private latrines, to local government officials building temporary housing units for survivors, to girls in need of gender-specific spaces — are all facing a similar problem: the money is there, but it’s not (yet) being used effectively for the rehabilitation process the funds were disbursed for.
In Santa Fe, a small town in Leyte, I checked out an ECHO-funded water and sanitation project implemented by ACF International. The local aid workers there didn't shy away from telling me that their project is running its course, but they won’t be able to complete it by the deadline agreed on with the donor.
About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.