Cascading catastrophes: gendered experiences of the pandemic among Typhoon Haiyan survivors in Tacloban City

Purpose To understand the gendered impacts of the cascading disasters that represent the COVID-19 pandemic on Typhoon Haiyan survivors living in resettlement sites in Tacloban City, the city most devastated by the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan. Design/methodology/approach Findings are based on household surveys conducted for an exploratory project broadly studying the effects of COVID-19 on resettlement site residents. Fieldwork was conducted in June 2021 with 357 Typhoon Haiyan survivors living in four resettlement sites in Tacloban City during COVID-19. Findings Female Typhoon Haiyan survivors have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic in terms of their mental health, the amount and quality of food available to them, their monthly income, livelihood and caretaking responsibilities. We also find that the pandemic has highlighted the gaps in services available to residents, such as mental health and sexual or reproductive services. Originality/value This paper contributes to the limited primary data available on the impacts of the pandemic on Typhoon Haiyan survivors, particularly its gendered impacts. It also adds to the literature on cascading disasters from a gender perspective. It disrupts the traditional dichotomy between vulnerability and resilience by demonstrating how women exhibit both traits in response to disasters due to imposed external conditions.