MANILA, Philippines — Following the widespread displacement caused by typhoon Haiyan (local name Yolanda), the UN Refugee Agency is renewing its support for the enactment of a national legislation upholding the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Philippines. This law will be the first of its kind in Asia-Pacific.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in February 2013 lauded the Philippine Congress for adopting a legislation espousing the right of IDPs to protection and assistance. The legislation was later vetoed in May of the same year and UNHCR welcomes fresh efforts in the legislature to revive the bill.
“More than 4 million people were forced by typhoon Haiyan to leave their homes, on top of other disasters that struck the country in recent months. This underlines the need for a specific law that addresses the critical vulnerabilities and protection concerns of IDPs,” said Bernard Kerblat, Country Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Philippines.
UNHCR, which co-leads the Protection Cluster with the Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development, is organizing a photo exhibition, titled DISPLACED, from 20 to 25 January at the Philippine Senate Session Hallway featuring photographs by Filipino documentary photographer Rick Rocamora taken in communities devastated by typhoon Haiyan in early November.
The typhoon is just the last one in a series of crises that struck the country in recent months–others include the Bohol earthquake, typhoon Santi, typhoon Odette and three episodes of heavy rains linked to Intertropical Convergence Zones, as well as situations of armed conflict between the government and non-state actors.
“Within 60 days alone, from 9 September to 8 November, a total of 14 crises led to the displacement of more than 4.7 million Filipinos,” said Kerblat.
The UNHCR Country Representative encourages the Philippine government to build on past achievements in setting up protection mechanisms for people displaced by natural disasters and armed conflict. The rights of IDPs must continue to be respected and safeguarded during displacement.
“The frequent advent of disasters in this country shows the necessity for a legislative framework to uphold the rights of IDPs. We also hope that once passed, this legislation will serve as a model for other countries in the region facing similar issues of forced displacement,” added Kerblat.
Contact persons:
Marmie Liquigan (Manila), External Relations/PSFR, [email protected], +639189208765
Johanna Morden (Manila), External Relations, [email protected], +639173055573
Kent Bolisay (Tacloban), External Relations, [email protected], +639294577645
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