On December 16th, 2021 Super Typhoon Rai (locally called Odette) slammed into the Philippines with sustained maximum winds of 195 and gusts of up to 260 km/hr. A total of nine landfalls left significant devastation with the most severely impacted areas being the coastal communities of Surigao del Norte, Dinagat Island, Southern Leyte, Bohol, and Cebu. 

UNFPA has responded to the needs of these communities ensuring the protection of women and girls, increased access to sexual and reproductive health, and integration of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) into programming on the ground. Increased training and sensitization have been extended to facilitators of these services to ensure quality provision of care to the most vulnerable.

Immediate distribution of commodities was undertaken to allow unhindered continuity of medical care, including prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care and clinical management of rape. UNFPA ensured coordination mechanisms for the gender-based violence (GBV) sub-cluster and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) working group was activated, allowing more effective collaboration amongst response partners and the coordinated collection of essential data for each area of responsibility.

UNFPA has sought direct feedback both from the government and those most affected to ensure that the response has been appropriate and swift.