MANILA, Philippines - Hygiene supplies called "dignity kits" will be distributed to families evacuated from flooded areas in Mindanao and Visayas, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said on Wednesday, January 18.
"They will not only be given food packs but also toiletries which they have not prepared in their rush to get to evacuation centers," Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo told Rappler.
A hygiene kit contains the following:
- Toothbrushes
- Toothpaste
- Bath soap
- Laundry soap
- Shampoo
- Rubbing alcohol
- Sanitary napkins
- Towels
- Comb
- Small flashlight
- Underwear
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) first introduced the distribution of the hygiene packages in 2000, in response to the Sierra Leone and Liberia conflicts to enhance the mobility, comfort, and dignity of women living in refugee camps.
Only those who are in evacuation centers will be given dignity kits, according to Taguiwalo, who flew to Cagayan de Oro on Wednesday afternoon to personally check the situation in the area.
Cagayan de Oro City was one of the areas most heavily affected by the torrential rains. Forced evacuation was ordered in some areas of the city as the local council declared a state of calamity amid neck-deep floods.
About 8,800 families or 46,200 people are staying in at least 130 evacuation centers in the Negros Island Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Northern Mindanao as of Wednesday, according to the DSWD.
The provision of dignity kits is part of the DSWD's ongoing efforts to provide immediate assistance to more than 13,000 families or about 65,500 people who were affected by heavy rain and floods.
The agency's field offices in affected communities are also distributing food packs that can sustain a family of 5 for two days. (LOOK: This box of DSWD relief goods goes a long way)
To date, the DSWD has provided P2,689,327.00 worth of assistance to affected families.– Rappler.com