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Natural and man-made disasters affect nearly one in 10 people in the
Philippines every year, but millions of victims are largely left to
fend for themselves, the Asian Development Bank said on Thursday.
“Disasters, both natural and man-made, have
been a major source of poverty and vulnerability in the
Philippines,” the Manila-based lender said in a country report
that also called attention to the country’s development
constraints.
Situated in the “Ring of Fire” of volcanic
islands around the rim of the Pacific Ocean and situated in the
typhoon belt, the Philippines gets a hefty dose of typhoons, floods,
devastating waves, landslides, quakes and volcanic eruptions.
These “adversely affected an annual average of
about eight million people, mostly in rural areas,” the bank said.
“Only about one-half of the affected people
received assistance from the government and private relief
institutions. Of those assisted, the value of assistance was a
miniscule amount, not even representing one percent of the average
income during ‘normal’ times of the poorest 30 percent of the
population.”
The bank said there was a lack of funds as well
as “poor targeting” caused by poor governance, leading to
“significant leakages and wastage of resources”.
It said the scant aid reaching displaced
populations was “a serious concern” considering that disasters
often inflict severe damage and loss to property, and destroy the
only means of livelihood for the poor.
“Failing to receive assistance, they risk
falling to perpetual poverty traps.”
The bank said the Philippines gets hit every
year with 20 typhoons that come with strong winds, intense rainfall
and flooding.
“In recent years hydrologic events have become
more intense and more frequent, presumably due to global climate
change.”
-- AFP
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