United Nations (UN) representatives on Thursday called for increased support for the Philippine government’s response to the serious drought induced by El Niño.
UN Assistant Secretary-General Reena Ghelani and UN Resident and Humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines Gustavo Gonzalez made the appeal at the end of the visit of the Climate Crisis Coordinator for the El Niño/La Niña Response in the Philippines.
They cited the current El Niño episode causing dry conditions and high temperatures across Southeast Asia. This includes the Philippines, where 41 provinces are experiencing drought and nearly 31 others are facing dry spells or dry conditions.
“The Philippines demonstrates the importance of acting early before a disaster strikes. With more frequent and severe climate shocks, it is crucial we strengthen our support to community resilience,” Ghelani said.
During her weeklong mission in the country, the UN official met with the government’s National Task Force on El Niño, the Humanitarian Country Team, the Philippine Red Cross, and other partners.
Ghelani interacted with El Niño-hit communities, women’s groups engaged in strengthening community resilience, a climate-resilience housing project, as well as local authorities and civil society organizations.
The UN and humanitarian and development partners have been actively preparing for and responding to El Niño in the Philippines in support of the government’s relief efforts.
This year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Oxfam Pilipinas activated their Anticipatory Action programs in Isabela and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to provide immediate support to affected communities.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) worked with the government and communities early last year to build ponds and small reservoirs in pre-identified areas affected by El Niño.
The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) is also monitoring the private sector’s collective action, primarily toward food and water security.
“Building resilience to address shocks like El Niño/La Niña is at the heart of the new UN Cooperation Framework signed with the Government last year,” Gonzalez said.
“The UN Country Team is presently recalibrating such technical assistance as part of the Enhancing Resilient Communities flagship initiative,” he added.