Typhoon Haiyan
~2,000 patients treated · 18 volunteers deployed
Executive Summary
Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) deployed a rapid assessment team followed by a 14‑person medical team to Ormoc District, Leyte, after Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck the Philippines on 8 November 2013. ¹ Over one month of operations, CMAT teams delivered mobile clinics and later a Type‑1 fixed field clinic, treating nearly 2,000 patients and supporting World Health Organization (WHO) coordination and medical‑supply distribution. ¹⁴
Crisis Context
Haiyan was among the most powerful tropical cyclones recorded, devastating the Visayas region and severely damaging health infrastructure across Eastern Visayas. ⁴ In Ormoc City, authorities reported widespread damage, disrupted services, and casualties in the days following landfall. ⁵
Deployment Overview
Following Typhoon Haiyan, CMAT deployed a four-person rapid assessment team followed by a 14-person inter-professional medical team — comprising physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and paramedics — for an approximately one-month deployment spanning November to December 2013. The team established its base of operations near Ormoc City Hall in Leyte, extending field operations to rural barangays including Kananga, Villaba, Tobango, and Calubian. Due to customs delays, the team initially delivered care through mobile medical clinics before transitioning to a Type-1 fixed field clinic once the inflatable tent and equipment arrived and were set up on a tennis court. Throughout the deployment, CMAT collaborated with WHO and local authorities to conduct health-needs assessments and assisted in the receipt and distribution of IEHK and DDK medical kits.
References
1. Canadian Medical Assistance Teams. CMAT Deployment summary: Philippines – Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Toronto: CMAT; 2013. Available from: https://cmat.ca/cmat-deployment-summary-philippines-typhoon-yolanda/
2. Canadian Medical Assistance Teams. CMAT assessment team completes survey of central Leyte. Toronto: CMAT; 2013 Nov 17. Available from: https://cmat.ca/cmat-assessment-team-completes-survey-central-leyte/
3. Canadian Medical Assistance Teams. Team 1 arrives in the Philippines – CMAT still needs your donations! Toronto: CMAT; 2013 Nov 19. Available from: https://cmat.ca/team-1-arrives-philippines-cmat-still-needs-donations-please-help/
4. World Health Organization. WHO supporting Philippine Government with arrival of medical supplies after Typhoon Haiyan. Manila: WHO; 2013 Nov 12. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/12-11-2013-who-supporting-philippine-government-with-arrival-of-medical-supplies-after-typhoon-haiyan
5. Regencia T. Philippine typhoon destroys homes and lives. Doha: Al Jazeera; 2013 Nov 11. Available from: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2013/11/11/philippine-typhoon-destroys-homes-and-lives/
Partners
- Ormoc District Medical Society
- WHO
- Philippine Navy
Key Statistics
| Metric | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Length of deployment | ≈ 1 month (Nov–Dec 2013) | 1 |
| Total patients treated | ≈ 2,000 | 1 |
| Team composition | 18 deployed: 4 assessment + 14 medical (MDs, RNs, NPs, Paramedics) | 1 |
| Service delivery modality | Mobile clinics; later Type‑1 fixed field clinic (inflatable tent) | 1 |
| Geographic coverage | Base in Ormoc City; outreach to Kananga, Villaba, Tobango, Calubian | 1 |