Working towards humanitarian standards in the Philippines

After typhoon Haiyan, volunteer teachers ensured displaced children were able to continue with their studies. Photo © Jason Gutierrez/IRIN/CERF

By Roderick Valones (*)

The need to promote quality and accountability in humanitarian response became even more crucial after the super typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda caused massive destruction and loss of life when it hit the country on 8 November 2013.

As ASAP focused on promoting and applying Sphere standards in their emergency response programmes and disaster-preparedness activities, Haiyan tested its objectives as well as the role and responsibilities of its members. Even member organisations that did not directly work with communities affected by the typhoon felt the need to strengthen their work to promote and apply humanitarian standards.

The Haiyan disaster, a tragic event for the people in the Philippines, offered an opportunity for the alliance to bring humanitarian stakeholders together, particularly government agencies, in order to experience first-hand the benefits of applying quality and accountability standards – or the disadvantages of not applying them.

Most of ASAP’s 18 members were directly involved in the Haiyan emergency response. Only three organisations did not have programmes related to it, but their staff participated in the response as volunteers.

The activities included in the ASAP Annual Report 2014 report were centred on promoting and applying Sphere standards either during the relief and recovery phases of the Haiyan response or in disaster-preparedness and risk-reduction measures.

It is interesting to note that most of ASAP members implemented programmes related to accountability to affected populations. Some of them focused on building the capacity of local and international NGOs as well as of local government agencies to use Sphere standards in their emergency response. Others reached out to faith-based and corporate humanitarian stakeholders with the same purpose.

All ASAP members carried out activities to promote or apply quality and accountability standards – particularly Sphere – in their specific programmes. In 2014, ASAP members were actively involved in shelter and non-food items, food security, cash transfer programmes, children and vulnerable groups and disaster risk-reduction.

Overall, ASAP members successfully enabled affected people to express their grievances by setting up complaints response mechanisms and were able to address their immediate needs and alleviate their suffering.

Although there is still a long way to go in order to achieve the goal of mainstreaming Sphere standards across all emergency responses in the Philippines, ASAP was able to make its voice heard by humanitarian stakeholders as it called them to embrace quality and accountability as the heart of their work.

ASAP’s achievements are still modest while the need for more work on quality and accountability is still enormous. But little by little, ASAP members made significant strides in 2014, influencing local NGOs and civil society and, most significantly, community people themselves to claim their right to humanitarian assistance, protection and security and life with dignity!

(*) Roderick Valones is Programme Manager at
 Lutheran World Relief.