By Vivienne Russell | 11 March 2014
The UK Department for International Development responded ‘swiftly and decisively’ to the emergency in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan, the independent aid watchdog has concluded.
Giving DFID’s response the highest ‘green’ rating, the Independent Commission for Aid Impact noted the department was the largest single global donor and played a lead role in co-ordinating the response to the disaster, which hit the country in November. The department’s action also helped galvanise support from others and to influence the international aid response, ICAI’s chief commissioner Graham Ward said.
Mark Foster, ICAI’s lead commissioner for the review, said: ‘DFID’s preparedness to respond, combined with the effective use of military assets and pace of decision-making meant that the UK was able to make an early and vital contribution to this international response.
‘The Philippines is, alongside many other parts of the world, increasingly prone to natural disasters, and DFID has an opportunity to play an even more influential role in the global humanitarian system and increase the likelihood and future effectiveness.’
This is the first international aid effort that ICAI has observed on the ground as events developed. The watchdog made three recommendations that it said would support DFID’s future humanitarian responses.
These were: stronger leadership within the global humanitarian response system, with a particular focus on boosting its stockpiling and logistics capacity; development of a clear strategy for humanitarian engagement where the department has no in-country presence; and, in the Philippines specifically, greater support for the government’s reconstruction plan in strategic areas such as climate change resilience.
The UK has provided £77m in aid and support was provided by the armed forces, particularly dispatching HMS Daring and HMS Illustrious to assist the aid effort, and airlifts from the Royal Air Force. A total of 18 NHS staff and three other medics were also sent to the Philippines, and DFID staff were seconded to United Nations agencies to provide strategic and technical support.
International Development Secretary Justine Greening said: ‘Britain was at the forefront of the international humanitarian effort in the Philippines, deploying DFID humanitarian experts just hours after the typhoon struck and delivering lifesaving aid to hundreds of thousands of survivors. It is great to see that ICAI has rightly recognised this and concluded that the UK’s response to Typhoon Haiyan was quick, targeted and effective.’
She added: ‘When I visited the country in November I was overwhelmed by the resilience of the Filipino people and their determination to get back on their feet. The UK will continue to work with the government of the Philippines to help them better cope with disasters like this in the future.'
