On the 8th day of November, year 2013, the biggest and most devastating typhoon in recorded history battered the Philippines.

When Super Typhoon Yolanda, also known as Typhoon Haiyan finally left the country, it left a swathe of destruction, so huge and unimaginable, the national government has been reeling from the sheer gravity of the situation.

The typhoon’s fury affected more than 14 million people across 44 provinces, claiming the lives of over 8,000 people, and displacing millions more. Over 4 million people were displaced, with damage to housing and infrastructure across a vast area of the country. Typhoon Haiyan’s aftermath underscored the importance of disaster preparedness, response coordination, and ongoing support to foster resilience in the face of nature’s impact.

Typhoon Yolanda caused several damage to some of the Philippines biggest sources of income, destroying coconut farms all over the islands, leaving over a million coconut farmers without a means to support themselves as they’ve had to wait years for their farms to recover. The typhoon also greatly affected local fisheries, which is one of the Philippines most important sectors, employing 1.6 million people.

Many families lost everything during Typhoon Yolanda and were left struggling once the storm was over. The lack of options for transitional and permanent housing prolonged the displacement for many families, many of which are still trying to recover.

The vast use of ICT had a great impact in terms of informing others on what is happening during this calamity

A Facebook post where this user gives tips on helping out the victims of the super typhoon.

Even finding people who is affected by the storm is easy with the internet. With just a few clicks away, you'll know immediately what your loved ones are doing.