In pictures: Philippines floods

Oxfam staff assess the damage in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana. Our response is focusing on clean water, hygiene and helping people recover their livelihoods.
Photo: Oxfam

Evacuees use a boat to cross between buildings at the National High School in Angono, home to close to 500 families whose homes were badly flooded or washed away when Typhoon Ketsana hit.
Oxfam has been distributing hygiene kits and cash grants to vulnerable families sheltering in evacuation centres here.
Photo: Jerry Carreon

Building a new raised latrine at St Peter and Paul Parish Church evacuation centre in Lingga baranggay ('village'), where around 500 families are staying in makeshift shelters and tents.
Conditions here are very basic. There are just seven toilets for all the evacuees to share and when we visit, several of these are overflowing.
Concerned about the potential spread of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery and typhoid, as well as Dengue fever, Oxfam has been working with the local department of health to organise a pump to clean out the toilets and ensure the communal area is kept sanitary.
We’ve also begun building a new prototype raised 'floating toilet' with a local partner. This sits above four septic treatment tanks that treat waste and is raised so as not to flood if water levels were to rise again.
Photo: Jerry Carreon

Oxfam has been distributing hygiene kits and cash grants to vulnerable families sheltering at this church. Recipients wait while names are called out in groups to go and collect their goods. While they wait, Oxfam Public Health Promoter Monet talks to evacuees about the importance of safe hygiene and explains the best way to prevent the spread of disease. Once their names have been called, people walk up to register and collect their cash grant, before moving outside to pick up their hygiene kits.
Photo: Jerry Carreon

People wade through the water carrying their new hygiene kits, Angono.
Photo: Jerry Carreon

Women line up to receive cash grants at an Oxfam distribution in Angono. This distribution on 21 October 2009 is carried out with our local partner Sikhay who visited the site the day before to distribute special coupons to those most in need of support. Recipients first hand in their coupons and sign for the goods before collecting their hygiene kits. They then move on to collect the cash grants after a second verification check. Pregnant and elderly women are given priority and are selected to go first.
Photo: Laura Eldon

People queue to collect their cash grants after receiving Oxfam hygiene kits.
Photo: Laura Eldon

A coupon is checked against the master list of beneficiaries at an Oxfam distribution of hygiene kits in Angono.
Photo: Laura Eldon

Evacuees in Angono sign to collect hygiene kits.
Photo: Jerry Carreon

Staff from Oxfam and local partner Sikhay unload items for a distribution of hygiene kits, Angono.
Photo: Jerry Carreon

A woman shows off her coupon as she waits in line to collect an Oxfam hygiene kit, Angono.
Photo: Jerry Carreon

Evacuees proudly show off their coupons as they wait in line to collect their Oxfam hygiene kits.
Photo: Jerry Carreon