Humanitarian Response to Urban Crises: Experiences Following Typhoon Haiyan

As part of a broader body of work exploring how DFID can increase understanding, confidence and capability to prepare for and respond to urban crises within the humanitarian community this study intends to capture learning regarding humanitarian response to urban crises from the first year of the response to typhoon Haiyan. Specifically it intends to: document a variety of programmes undertaken in urban areas and how these responded to the urban context; describe common challenges and opportunities experienced when working in urban areas; provide recommendations on how future responses could be tailored to the urban context. This study is based on fourteen interviews and focus group discussions completed with humanitarian practitioners from eight humanitarian organisations between October and December 2014. While some organisations included had received funding from DFID this had not necessarily contributed to their urban programming. Other agencies had not received DFID funding but were keen to share their experiences on this important topic. The generous contribution of agencies and individuals enabled a wide selection of programmes to be included. These were predominantly shelter and livelihoods (the remaining key challenges one year after the typhoon) but also water, sanitation and hygiene, urban planning, advocacy and health.