Red Cross completes construction of 4,462 shelters in Samar

CATBALOGAN CITY, Philippines – After more than a year, communities whose residents lost their homes to Super Typhoon Yolanda in Samar provinces have been given permanent shelters, an officer of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said yesterday.

ICRC communication officer Allison Lopez said that together with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), they have completed the construction and turned over 4,462 shelters to residents of Basey and Marabut towns in Samar and Giporlos, Guiuan, MacArthur, Mercedes, Quinapondan and Salcedo in Eastern Samar.

 “The core shelters are storm-resilient and far much better than their old houses before Yolanda,” Lopez said.

She said the ICRC and the Norwegian Red Cross would also build toilets in each of the houses. “The NRC will build 3,000 latrines while the remaining 1,462 will be constructed by the ICRC,” she said.

Pascal Mauchle, head of the ICRC delegation to the Philippines, said the ICRC would continue to provide for the needs of Yolanda-affected communities in Samar and other provinces. 

“Rest assured that we will remain present in Eastern Visayas to support communities affected by disasters and armed conflict,” the ICRC head said, adding that they were “happy to see people feel better” a year after Yolanda struck.