UNDP asks cash-for-work workers in Philippine typhoon-hit city to wear protective gears

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Saturday urged volunteer workers to wear protective gears when clearing debris and waste in this typhoon-hit city. UNDP communications officer Lesley Wright said volunteer workers collecting trash without proper protective gear are at risk for infection and disease. "It is important to spread the message to the neighboring communities, everybody in this city as we're dealing with this vast volume of debris that's quite dangerous and it's also mixing with municipal solid waste," Wright said. UNDP has been helping survivors of Typhoon "Haiyan" here to rise up and earn some money by giving 260 pesos (about 6 U.S. dollars) daily wage through cash-for-work debris clearance. Wright said it is a policy of UNDP to provide their 250 workers with safety gears such as boots, facemasks, hats and gloves. However, she raised concern about other humanitarian organizations conducting trash collections that do not exercise the same safety measures. "We are trying to get safety equipment to other agencies as well," Wright said referring to Tzu Chi Foundation, Philippines who has mobilized some 21,000 residents for its cash-for-work program for debris clearing efforts. She added that the UNDP will be rolling out 25,000 tetanus vaccination to protect workers from infection. Wright said one of the challenges they are facing now is the temporary area to put 1.15 million cubic meter debris and waste in Tacloban City alone. "We need mass movement of all debris out of the city into these areas where they could be sorted and recycled," she said, adding that UNDP is already in coordination with the local government units and other humanitarian agencies. She also emphasized the need to restart garbage collection as some waste and debris are still piled up along the streets. She said to "get a noticeable impact," the city needs at least 50 dump trucks a day to move waste for one month. The city also needs 500 backhoes and 10,000 dump trucks to speed up trash collection and lessen the health hazard posed by dirty environment to residents, added Wright.