Our response to Super Typhoon Haiyan which hit the Philippines in November 2013 has been a great testament to our people’s commitment to their communities. Although the Typhoon passed through Cebu, Bacolod and Iloilo where KPMG maintains small offices we were relieved that our people were quickly confirmed safe. However, some of our people’s families were affected so we are helping them to recover. KPMG in the Philippines immediately responded to support affected communities by volunteering, fundraising and performing skilled pro bono work for civil society organizations providing humanitarian relief. Given the scale of devastation, KPMG International launched a global appeal for financial support from our network of member firms.

Volunteering 

In the immediate aftermath of the Typhoon, KPMG staff in the Manila office volunteered to pack relief goods at a military airbase for transportation to affected communities.

The devastation from Typhoon Haiyan

Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) swept through the central Philippines on 8 November 2013, killing nearly 6,000 people and displacing some 4 million people, flattening homes and damaging schools, health centres and other infrastructure. Some experts estimate the storm was among the strongest ever to make landfall. Over 100,000 people were still in evacuation centres five weeks after the storm and 1,800 people are missing.

Government and international response

On 9 November 2013, the Philippines Government accepted the United Nations offer of international assistance. The Government also welcomed the deployment, in the initial phase of disaster response, of a large number of countries’ military assets. The humanitarian community’s one-year Strategic Response Plan calling for US$791 million was launched on 16 December 2013 (-so far it is 30 percent funded). It is closely aligned to the Government’s Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan, due to be launched on 18 December 2013.

 

Source: Philippines – Typhoon Haiyan, Situation Report No.23 (13 December 2013), UNOCHA

 

 

KPMG appeal raises US$1 million

Our global appeal has raised US$1 million in donations from KPMG International and our member firms, Partners and staff across 23 countries.

The funds are mostly being deployed through the Red Cross and Oxfam who we prioritize for support through our Global Development Initiative.

US$0.5 million was disbursed for immediate life-saving relief and the remainder will be granted for longer-term reconstruction.