Despite the efforts and progress made, many survivors await permanent relocation. The need for a durable solution for millions of people whose homes were damaged or destroyed is critical. The national Government deactivated the Emergency Operation Center (including at regional levels) on February 21, 2022,2 signaling the move towards early recovery, and yet, the need for basic services remains high for those in significantly affected locations.  

In the recent visit of UNFPA's Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem to Southern Leyte, she reaffirmed growing concerns about multiple risks faced by millions of vulnerable people and the need to be continuously responsive to reproductive health and rights, protection, and gender-sensitive needs of women and girls.  

In the wake of COVID-19, however, the provision of routine and essential care, vaccinations, and infection prevention and control have left health care workers overstretched; there are currently insufficient human resources to respond to all needs particularly in remote areas, due to these competing priorities. 

Only 33.5% of the required funding was mobilized1 for the Typhoon Odette response. There is an urgent need for collective action on maternal health and protection interventions to ensure that the multiple vulnerabilities faced by women and adolescents are urgently addressed.