Red Cross helping fire survivors in Leyte Regional Prison

By ICRC
October 12, 2015

MANILA – Following the fire that raged in Leyte Regional Prison for almost eight hours, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) delivered emergency items to support the authorities’ efforts to attend to the needs of the affected inmates.

The fire that broke out on October 8 in this prison hosting more than 1,800 convicted detainees under the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) killed 10 people, caused minor injuries to others, and completely destroyed the Maximum Security Compound of the detention facility.

This prison is one of the detention facilities the ICRC currently visits in the country to assess and improve general conditions of detention. Both the ICRC and the PRC, which are partner humanitarian organizations in the Philippines, send their sympathies to the families of those who perished in the fire.

“As reports of this dramatic incident reached us, we immediately dispatched a team from our Tacloban office to evaluate the damage and pressing needs, to be able to provide rapid assistance,” said Sari Nissi, head of the ICRC delegation in the Philippines.

Thanks to readily available items in the PRC warehouse in Leyte, PRC and ICRC teams were able to distribute sleeping mats, blankets, mosquito nets, bath and laundry soaps, bottles of water and jerrycans; as well as medical items from the ICRC, over the weekend.

“These people who are serving their sentence in jail deserve the same humanitarian assistance that we give to victims of other disasters and emergencies, as the Red Cross provides assistance to anyone who needs it, especially the most vulnerable,” stressed PRC Chairman Richard Gordon.

The ICRC had previously provided assistance when the prison was hit by a fire in 2013. As part of its continuing support to Leyte Regional Prison, the ICRC is building a new infirmary to enhance access to medical care for the detainees.

The ICRC will continue to assess the most pressing needs and is in dialogue with authorities to find a permanent solution for the living conditions of the inmates.