The Commission on Human Rights has called for support and intervention from national and local governments for families displaced by typhoon “Rolly.”
The CHR Center for Crisis, Conflict, and Humanitarian Protection said in a statement that the government needs to scale up humanitarian assistance for internally displaced persons especially in light of the COVID-19 health crisis.
Rolly has claimed the lives and destroyed the properties of Filipinos in different areas of the country, particularly Catanduanes and Albay and as these IDPs evacuate their homes and seek shelter in safer grounds, the CHR is concerned that they face more vulnerabilities.
The CHR stressed that it is the government's primary duty to ensure that these IDPs are safe and have access to basic provisions while in evacuation areas, such as access to water, hygiene kits, and other related supplies that are often not included in relief item distribution.
"The humanitarian responders, including the government, must also take into consideration the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic," the CHR said.
"Evacuation sites are oftentimes cramped, without considerable space for social distancing."
The CHR suggested that the government identify more evacuation shelters in order to keep up the number of families limited per site. It is also recommended that hygiene kits and supplies be prioritized, together with rapid identification of possible COVID-19 cases in evacuation centers.
"Local government units must also designate isolation facilities to separate suspected COVID-19 cases, and provide ample medical support to said cases," the CHR stressed.