Participation of youth volunteers during Typhoon Haiyan emergency response

• Main Author: Evardone, Ruby Nina L.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Young volunteers > Philippines > Visayan Islands; Disaster relief > Philippines > Visayan Islands; Asian Studies
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5846; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=12685&context=etd_masteral
• Institution: De La Salle University

In every humanitarian disaster either natural or manmade, there is always a need to involve massive participation not just from the rescuers but from the victims as well. During the Typhoon Haiyan emergency response in the Visayan region of the Philippines, young men and women were relevantly providing support to make a fast – phase response in addressing the needs of the affected communities. The youth may have been at risk in volunteering due to high-level security issues, however, most of them joined in the relief distribution, assisting in psycho-social support to peers and neighbors, and helping rebuild damaged community clinics and schools, as well as rebuilding houses. A survey interview critical to the research was conducted for data collection in which 5 youth volunteers, 5 humanitarian aid workers and 4 members of funding agencies participated in the conduct of this research. Moreover, the same interview with international humanitarian organizations during and after the response operations revealed that no incidence of exploitation on young people nor a capitalization on their vulnerability towards dangerous labor related activities and/or violation of human rights were documented by the aid agencies. Although there might be certain adjustments made in the international organizations and local government unit’s policy with regards to tapping the services of the youth sector should a disaster similar to the magnitude of Haiyan happen. Finally, it is important to note that any violation of human rights involving volunteers and participants in emergency response or improper handling and distribution of foreign aid, may affect international donors through post response evaluation and donor report.