Previous Story
Yutu Update: Disaster relief from WHO
The Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. has received water and hygiene supplies from the from the World Health Organization in the amount of 32,000 water purification tablets and 1,000 collapsible jerry cans.
On-island WHO representative Sean Casey said that the tablets and jerry cans will be distributed into the villages on Saipan and Tinian. The first batch has been sent to Tinian today and with response teams packing supplies for Saipan tonight.
Each water purification tablet can be added to 10 liters of non-potable clear water to make it drinkable. The jerry cans are 10-liter collapsible water containers for easy storage in your at-home emergency kits.
CHCC, WHO and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) constructed mobile hand-washing units that are to be delivered to the shelters along with hand soap to provide the shelterees with the tools to promote strong health through hand hygiene.
In addition to the WASH supplies, the CNMI has also received five Interagency Emergency Health Kits. The IEHK’s are a staple of WHO and is a pre-packed kit of essential medical supplies, equipment, and medicine. Each kit can help care for 1,000 people over a span of three months and are intended to provide aid during times that local medical organizations are faced with an emergency.
For updates on outreach, follow the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Facebook page at @cnmichcc.)
Yutu relief
The CNMI Government, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Department of Defense will be distributing food and water throughout Saipan at the following distribution sites:
November 3 – 9
- Koblerville Fire Station
- Minachom Atdao Pavilion
November 4 – 9
- American Memorial Park
- Kagman Fire Station
- San Roque Fire Station
Distribution will take place from 10am to 5pm.
CUC Customer Center open Monday
To continue serving Commonwealth Utilities Corp. customers during the typhoon recovery period, the CUC Customer Center in Dandan will open on Monday, Nov. 5, 2018.
CUC Customer Center Open for business on Monday, from 9am to 3pm.
Normal operations for all other CUC offices will be closed in observance of Citizenship Day.
For any emergencies, call (670) 664-4282.
Water filling stations
The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. has set up emergency water filling stations for the public to retrieve water for the next few days.
The following water filling stations were open today, Friday, Nov. 2, 2018:
- Navy Hill Water Station, located on Isla Drive (near the baseball field)
- Kaman Water Station, located across Kagman Market (off Kagman Road),
- Kannat Tabla Water Station, located before the rock quarry
- Koblerville Water Station, located on Tinaktak Drive (between Han Nam Market and Tottotville)
The Capital Hill Water Station is currently offline due to low water level and is currently being refilled. As soon as water level in the Capital Hill Tank is sufficiently filled, filling station will re-open for distribution to the public. Updates will follow as soon as they are available.
Water is metered and each vehicle will be allowed to receive up to 100 gallons of water with the exception of Koblerville which will remain at 50 gallons due to the limited water supply that CUC currently has available in its tanks.
Water is non-potable and should be mainly used for non-consumption use such as bathing, cleaning, laundry, etc. Residents are advised to boil and/or treat the water with chlorine by adding 16 drops (1/8 teaspoon) of liquid chlorine “bleach” per gallon of water. Bleach, such as “Clorox”, should have a concentration of 5.25 percent to 6 percent and should have no other active ingredient. If it smells like chlorine, you can use it. If it does not smell like chlorine, add 16 more drops (1/8 teaspoon) of chlorine bleach per gallon of water.
CARE update
The Commonwealth Advocates for Recovery Efforts is right now focusing on the most immediate response phase, where local government, federal partners, and voluntary agencies are working around the clock to provide mass care and access to life-sustaining essentials, including water, food, shelter, and medical care, as well as focusing on restoration of critical public utilities and ensuring major roadways are safe and clear from dangerous debris.
“As we progress from immediate response into short-term recovery, our community will be able to focus more resources on debris removal within villages, which realistically will take several months, as well as short-term housing solutions. All of this work must happen before addressing long-term unmet needs, such as permanently rebuilding homes, can occur,” CARE said in a statement.
CARE is a locally-based, federal 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to build a more resilient community and to identify, facilitate, and deliver resources and long-term support to address the unmet needs of individuals and families impacted by disaster.
CARE was formed in collaboration with more than 70 community partners in the months following Typhoon Soudelor in August 2015. Since then, the organization has worked to leverage national partnership through National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, local partnerships through the CNMI VOAD, federal resource, local government resources, partnerships with the private sector, and the spirit of volunteerism and philanthropy to help build a more resilient CNMI.
Typhoon Yutu has caused devastation across our islands and together, we have already started on the road to recovery. The loss our community has endured will require significant time, planning, and resources to rebuild.
The focus of CARE CNMI is long-term recovery for individuals and families (not public facilities or infrastructure). In order for CARE CNMI to begin this collaborative long-term recovery work, the following steps must happen:
(1) We first need to maximize the use of FEMA Individual Assistance programs that will be activated to support recovery, including temporary and long-term housing support, so that we do not provide a duplication of benefits. Impacted community members are encouraged to register for FEMA assistance as soon as possible to determine your eligibility for FEMA aid.
(2) We are grateful that there are so many volunteer, private sector, and governmental efforts underway now to support the immediate and short-term needs of our community. For long-term unmet needs, CARE’s support for families will once again be driven by a robust care management program, which will need to be established and activated. The case management process will also refer families to immediate or other resources that may be available to them before CARE support.
(3) CARE must raise funds, acquire the necessary resources, and re-engage critical local and national partners to support long-term recovery. This will take time. While essential immediate response efforts are still underway, we encourage all who wish to support immediate response work to contribute time and donations to any of the nonprofit agencies currently active in response, while we are beginning to plan for the long road.
CARE’s vision is that together we will build a united Commonwealth where all our neighbors are lifted from disaster through the strength of our network. We will continue to update the community as we move into the short and longer-term phases of recovery work. Together, we can and will rebuild stronger. (PR)
