Guihulngan City - On 21 December 2022, Guihulngan City experienced heavy flooding coming from the mountains. This has caused the river in the Barangay Poblacion area to overflow forcing the affected population to evacuate to safer grounds. With the situation, the city activated its City Nutrition Cluster where health and nutrition personnel conducted a nutrition risk assessment for evacuees.

According to CNPC Arianne Paz C. Malahay, they fielded a health and nutrition team immediately to assess the situation. Nutrition assessment is a critical task by the health and nutrition team to ensure that evacuees’ health and nutrition needs will be addressed right away. After this, nutrition in emergency services was provided to the affected population.

The Poblacion gym-covered court served as the temporary home of one thousand one hundred fifty-four (1,154) individuals from two-hundred sixty-one (261) households who were affected by the flooding. The emergency response team of the city headed by Mayor Filomeno L. Reyes was also activated. City Health Officers Dr. Alain Go and Dr. Lorbie O. Yap, CDRRMO Engr. Giovanni Enabe and the team from CDRRMO, PNP, BFP, CSWDO, and the City Health Office also provided emergency response services. 

CNPC Malahay said that with the frequent flooding in Guihulngan, the City Nutrition Cluster needs to strengthen the emergency response and bolster the Nutrition in Emergency (NiEM) services. It is important to be fully equipped in times of disaster to positively lighten up a chaotic situation. // DMO II Kristal Katrina Bacay, RN