Relief assistance for 1,250 families affected by Typhoon Vinta

ACTED, in collaboration with Action Against Hunger and the Start Fund, provided prompt emergency assistance in Madalum municipality, one of the most affected of Mindanao region.

Benny and his family are resident of Liangan, one of the many barangays of Madalum municipality. There, typhoon Vinta destroyed more than 3.5 million euros worth of crops and livestock and affected over 19,000 hectares of agricultural lands, according to the Department of Agriculture of the Philippines. Following the major flooding and landslides caused by the natural disaster, Benny witnessed the destruction of its land, comprised of scallions and upland rice crops. As for most of Madalum households, his family’s main source of income was lost, thus endangering their food security situation.

Having lost their livelihoods, Benny and his family thought of leaving the area. Following damage assessment by barangay’s officials, Benny’s family was registered to receive emergency assistance from ACTED. Designed to respond to the basic needs of natural disaster-affected population, ACTED’s emergency kits contain relief goods that enable to support affected families: “We received items such as laundry and bath soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, nail cutter and a water container”, Benny explained.

Along with the distribution of emergency kits, ACTED also conducted hygiene promotion sessions to increase the resilience of affected population, in accordance with its strategy of linking relief to rehabilitation and development. Thanks to ACTED’s relief support, Benny’s family no longer needs to leave the area, thus focusing on rehabilitating their livelihood. Benny started to cultivate his land again, to meet his family’s food needs.