The country has seen how Super Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni) has left large-scale damages to lives and properties in many areas in the country, including Catanduanes island and Albay, areas which bore the brunt of the said typhoon. The destruction posed by this Category 5 typhoon presents a greater challenge as the country continues to be in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. With such gravity of damage seen to happen, a huge number of persons are seen to massively evacuate from their areas of origin, prompting them to seek shelter in safer grounds.

In exercise of its mandate to protect and uphold the rights of the internally displaced persons (IDPs), the Commission on Human Rights emphasizes the importance of support and intervention of the national and local governments in the swift and urgent delivery of services for displaced families. IDPs are in a state of heightened vulnerability given the probability of destruction of their homes and livelihood sources, and the government has the primary duty to ensure that displaced communities remain safe and that they have access to basic provisions while in evacuation.

The humanitarian responders, including the government, must also take into consideration the risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Evacuation sites are oftentimes cramped, without considerable space for social distancing. Access to water, which is vital in maintenance of good hygiene, is usually an issue. Hygiene kits and supplies are also usually not included in the relief items that are distributed to IDPs.

With this, the Commission calls on to the national, regional, and local agencies such as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and its regional and local DRRMCs; Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH); and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), among other relevant agencies, to upscale its humanitarian assistance to displaced communities and take into consideration the needs of IDPs in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Identification of more evacuation shelters is necessary in keeping the number of families limited per site. Provision of hygiene kits and supplies must be prioritized, along with the distribution of other relief items. Rapid identification of possible Covid-19 cases in evacuation centers must also be conducted. Local government units must also designate isolation facilities to separate suspected Covid-19 cases, and provide ample medical support to said cases.

The Commission hopes the government’s urgent humanitarian response in ensuring the protection and promotion of rights of IDPs. Displaced communities must not be left behind in this time of vulnerability. ###