One year after Typhoon Haiyan, a million Filipinos still homeless

A million people made homeless by Typhoon Haiyan are still living in tents and makeshift huts a year after 170mph winds devastated parts of the Philippines. Humanitarian group, Oxfam, says they are “dangerously exposed” as the typhoon season begins again. More than 7,300 died or went missing when Haiyan tore through the central Philippines on 8 November, 2013. Four million people were left without a home as one of the most ferocious typhoons ever to reach land flattened large areas of the country. Only 1% of the necessary houses have been built, says Oxfam, and it wants the country’s government to ramp up efforts to relocate the 205,000 families still living in limbo. Philippine President Benigno Aquino has defended the speed of rebuilding, insisting it would be wrong to construct homes “haphazardly”.

Curse me, criticise me but I believe I must do the right thing. I am impatient like everyone else but I have to stress that we can’t rebuild haphazardly.

Philippines president Benigno Aquino

The $3.6bn reconstruction plan for homes away from coastal danger areas was only signed off last week, and so far just a few thousand have gone up. Thousands demonstrated on Friday in Tacloban, the major city affected by the typhoon, and called for Mr Aquino to resign. People marched with banner and chanted “Noynoy Aquino, useless, remove!” According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a recent protection assessment found that people who remain displaced face a number of risks and residual humanitarian issues, including housing, land and property issues, physical security, water sanitation and hygiene.

People are still living in overcrowded bunkhouses and in lean-to homes - if nothing is done to these areas the families living there are at risk from another typhoon in this increasingly storm hit area.

Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring

Asia-Pacific haiyan