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With The Coronavirus Pandemic Far From Over, Many Families From These Vulnerable Communities Continue to Rely On Relief

Communities that are heavily affected by natural disasters or conflicts face food insecurity among other potential problems and risks. With the coronavirus pandemic far from over, many families from these vulnerable communities continue to rely on relief.

Help us enable them to have better access to livelihood opportunities, health assistance or clean water and hygiene facilities. Your support can help these families get back on their feet.

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Photo by Agnes Lavarraine for Action Against Hunger

Access To Safe Water Is Crucial In Preventing Infectious Diseases Like COVID-19

𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝟭𝟵. However, around 7 million Filipinos are dependent on unsafe and unsustainable water sources.

In fact, even before the pandemic, those residing in congested dwellings in informal settlements, transitory sites, and evacuation areas were already facing problems with inadequate water, poor sanitation and waste management, and limited access to health care facilities.

We help these communities through our programs on water, sanitation & hygiene. 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/

Photo by Lys Arango for Action Against Hunger

Undernourished People, Especially Young Children, Who Contract COVID-19 Could Be At Greater Risk

Undernourished people, especially young children, who contract COVID-19 could be at greater risk. To counter this, we need to support health facilities in their fight against the pandemic. In addition to this, we are working hard in maintaining the continuity of our maternal and child health programs.

You can help us strengthen and expand our activities focused on child malnutrition, support for women and psychosocial support.

𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗪:
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/

One of the 60 Beneficiaries Who Lost Their Home and Livelihood Due to #TyphoonRolly Received 5,200 pesos As Part of Our Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance

#StoriesfromtheField: “We were still doing okay financially even though the pandemic slowed our business down, but when Typhoon Rolly happened, I feel like we went back to zero,” said 58-year old Maria Tipo whose community in Barangay Guinsaanan of Baras, Catanduanes was greatly affected by #TyphoonRolly (Goni) last November 2020.

Maria and her husband used to live along the shore of Barangay Guinsaanan. Together, they managed to get by through their sari-sari store which was then frequented by tourist who were visiting Binurong Point, a popular tourist in the area. After losing both their home and their livelihood, they are now temporarily residing in a makeshift home they built from scratch in a small space beside her grandmother’s lot. With no source of income, they rely on relief packages for food and other basic needs.

“There are times when I have trouble sleeping at night because I worry, if the handouts stop what will happen to us?,” said Maria. She now has to work for the both of them since her husband had become partially paralyzed after suffering from stroke in 2019.

On January 27, Maria was one of the 60 beneficiaries from Barangay Guinsaanan who received 5,200 pesos as part of our multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA). This is one of the key programs under our 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝘆𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗯𝗮𝘆, which is co-implemented by CARE Philippines. The project is made possible through the funding of the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance.

The goal of the MPCA is to enable typhoon-affected families like Maria’s to meet immediate food and basic humanitarian needs. Maria hopes for stability for her family in the coming days. Unfortunately, only a few days after the distribution, Maria’s husband passed away due to health reasons. Before his passing, Maria shared that her hopes for their family in the coming days was to build another house. “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲, 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀.”

(Photo by Joyce Sandajan for Action Against Hunger)

Leaving Behind Your Home Is a Choice For Many, But For Families Dealing With Conflicts or Calamities, It Is a Sacrifice

Leaving behind your home is a choice for many, but for families dealing with conflicts or calamities, it is a sacrifice they have to make to ensure their safety. Their lives may be at risk, jobs, and incomes can be destroyed, food sources can be limited or become more expensive, and children’s access to education may be interrupted.

We have been providing humanitarian assistance to IDPs in the Philippines for over 20 years now. Our projects directly support the displaced & affected populations, and even host communities so that all people have equal abilities and opportunities to lead more fulfilling lives.

Together, let’s help vulnerable communities recover from crisis.
𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄.
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations/

Real Life Heroes – Cha Magdadaro

Charity “Cha” Magdadaro, one of our Project Assistants for our Typhoon Ulysses (Vamco) Response in Cagayan shared with us her insights as a humanitarian worker for eight years now. Get to know Cha and find out what makes her one of our Real Life Heroes.


What motivates you to become a humanitarian worker?

I started working as a humanitarian volunteer in 2013. After few involvements, I tried jobs in the industrial field, but my heart always searched for a job that works with the community. Working in this field gives me deeper satisfaction than other jobs. I witnessed a huge need of change that most communities in the Philippines need, and the small, step-by-step impact of humanitarian intervention to communities always makes a big difference.

Being able to witness children learning, mothers accepting new knowledge, and empowering the members of community – these things are priceless.

Why are you making this sacrifice?

With the challenges that the pandemic we are all facing and the calamities that heap up the burden of the vulnerable community, it is not easy to just ignore it. Humanitarian work is needed. Someone needs to do it. Someone needs to be there. I am answering the call.

What have been the challenges to your work because of the COVID-19 pandemic?

Due to budgetary constraints, we could not help all the people needing assistance. We had to be selective and narrow down our beneficiaries to the most vulnerable sector of the population.

Several of our planned activities have also been postponed due to community quarantine initiatives that the LGUs imposed. Within the community, the challenges of involving senior citizens, pregnant and lactating women and other vulnerable members of the community had been tough since they were the ones not allowed to be in social gathering, not even allowed to go out.

But then, beyond the mentioned challenges, the risk of being with a lot of people amid this pandemic is the most weighing burden I have. The heightened sense of protecting myself for the sake of my family, friends and the team is always the priority. With all the tasks I have to accomplish every day, this is a big challenge.

What motivates you to keep doing your work even with these challenges?

Helping the community is what drives me to keep going. Being an avenue to meet the immediate needs of the community is a fulfilling moment. 3 months after Typhoon Goni, some of our beneficiaries still live in tents in evacuation centers. The most common profile of the people we help are families with pregnant and lactating mothers do not earn a living wage and Senior Citizens with chronic ailments. Our interventions help them sustain hope despite the flooding and the pandemic that had caused them to lose so much.

The impact of the assistance I help deliver to the community outweighs the personal risks that the pandemic brings.

What are you most proud of?

I am proud of the team I am with in this emergency response. Despite the pandemic, we are still able to achieve our purpose in the community. There is always that challenge to strike the balance between taking a risk and protecting ourselves. Nonetheless, my team works hard, sacrificing things in life, just to do their job at its best.


Our Humanitarian Assistance to Typhoon Vamco-affected Communities in Region II, Philippines is funded by the European Union, and implemented by Action Against Hunger Philippines, CARE Philippines, ACCORD Incorporated, and Plan International Philippines

Providing A Wheelchair As Part Of Our Response to the Unmet Humanitarian Needs of The Most Vulnerable Conflict-Affected Populations in Mindanao (REACH) Project

7-year-old Abdul Khalid was a healthy baby boy when he was born but when he turned one, his mother, Salma, noticed that his legs started becoming weaker and thinner. Since then, Abdul Khalid’s parents have been preoccupied with attending to his special needs.

Because of his condition, he needs to be carried most of the time which limits his parents’ daily activities and sometimes holds them back in doing farm activities and other livelihood opportunities.

Last December 8, 2020, Abdul Khalid was one of the selected beneficiaries for the health mission conducted at Saguiaran Multipurpose Hall in Saguiran, Lanao del Sur. The activity was facilitated by Action Against Hunger together with the municipal health officer (MHO) and staff of the regional health unit (RHU).

Through the health mission, Abdul Khalid was granted with a wheelchair which was delivered on February 23, 2021 with the support and coordination of the MHO and the local government unit’s focal for health.

Upon receiving the wheelchair, Abdul Khalid’s father, Malic, expressed his gratitude for the health assistance. Because they no longer have to carry their son all the time, this will be a big help in carrying out their daily activities more efficiently, thus giving Salma and Malic more time to focus on their livelihoods and at the same time improving their son’s quality of life.

This health & protection intervention is part of our 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁-𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼 (𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛). The project is funded by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid – ECHO and is implemented together with CARE PhilippinesOxfam Pilipinas, and their local partners.

(Photo by Jonairah Alingan for Action Against Hunger)

Beneficiaries of Basic Shelter Kits In The Municipalities of Madamba, Kapai, Balindong, Saguiaran in Lanao Del Sur, and Pantao Ragaat, Lanao Del Norte Have Been Able to Repair Their Homes

Overtime, many of protractedly internally displaced persons (IDPs) in host-communities are living uncomfortably due to small spaces, some with less privacy and dilapidated shelters, and toilets outside their houses have no lighting especially at night.

Since November 2020, we have managed to provide basic shelter kits, sleeping and kitchen kits, and solar lamps to 600 hundred households in the municipalities of Madamba, Kapai, Balindong, Saguiaran in Lanao Del Sur, and Pantao Ragaat, Lanao Del Norte. The distributions were held in coordination with the local government for the deliveries and co-facilitating the activities.

Beneficiaries have since been able to repair their homes using the materials from the shelter kits.

This intervention is part of our 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗻𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗩𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁-𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼’ (𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛). The REACH project is funded by the EU Civil Protection & Humanitarian Aid – ECHO and is implemented together with CARE PhilippinesOxfam Pilipinas, and their local partners.

Alleviating Hunger and Malnutrition In Isolated Rural Areas, Urban Poor Communities, and Evacuation Camps by Tackling Its Root Cause

In 2019, our programs on nutrition & health have reached more than 8.8 million people in need all over the world.

In the Philippines, we specifically work in isolated rural areas, urban poor communities, and evacuation camps – alleviating hunger and malnutrition by tackling its root cause.

To find out more about our nutrition programs and how you can help, go to: 𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿.𝗽𝗵

(Photo by Jasper Llanderal for Action Against Hunger)

Helping People Who Have Limited Access to Humanitarian Assistance is One of Our Priority

One of our priorities is providing necessary interventions to hard-to-reach communities who have limited access to humanitarian assistance.

With the support of our donors, our programs on nutrition & health; water, sanitation & hygiene; or food security and livelihood have helped countless of Filipinos throughout the years.

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸.
𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
https://actionagainsthunger.ph/call-for-donations-typhoon-…/