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Order of Malta Australia

News

Project update: 3 months after Typhoon Haiyan

06/02/2014 


Malteser International helps rebuild 1,200 typhoon-resistant homes

Three months after Haiyan, the strongest typhoon on record, made landfall in the Philippines, Malteser International is working with communities in Samar and Bantayan to “build back better”.

“Currently, the majority of people in the disaster zones are still living in tents and makeshift shelters,” reports Cordula Wasser, Malteser International’s program manager for the Philippines. The organization and its local partner, Order of Malta Philippines, will help rebuild 1,200 heavily damaged houses in four villages on Samar and Bantayan islands. “We will train the village residents in repair and construction, so they will be actively rebuilding their own houses with support from our engineers and technicians,” Wasser says. This time, the homes will be designed to resist future typhoons.

Helping families recover their livelihoods and earn an income is also a focus of the next phase. “Immediately after the typhoon, the survivors were completely dependent on humanitarian aid,” Wasser explains. Now, they need help to get back on their feet again.“We will teach the villagers to write business plans and apply for bank loans, and we will help community-based organizations create and manage revolving loan funds,” she adds.

During the emergency relief phase, Malteser International distributed packages with food, household and hygiene items for nearly 18,000 people. The organization also set up large-capacity tents to be used as temporary classrooms and child-friendly spaces, provided school materials to nearly 2,500 children, and purchased tools and equipment for residents to clear the villages from debris.

View the below gallery for more pictures from the relief effort. Image cource Malteser International:

About Malteser International:

Malteser International is the humanitarian relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta. With over 100 projects annually in some 25 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, Malteser International has been standing by those affected by poverty, disease, conflict and disaster, helping them lead a healthy life with dignity – without distinction of religion, race or political persuasion. Christian values and the humanitarian principles build the foundation of its work.

Other articles:

Australian Association February 2014 Newsletter

The Australian Association

The Australian Association, formed in 1974, currently has in excess of 300 members and aspirant members across every State and Territory of Australia. We also have ongoing and strong links with the Order’s National Associations throughout the Asia Pacific Region including in Singapore and the Philippines and with members of the Order in New Zealand, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand and Korea. The Order of Malta is committed to serving Our Lords the Poor and Sick worldwide and has done so for over 900 years. This website shares with you the history, mission and current activities of the Order of Malta in Australia, and provides links to the work of the Order world-wide.