The international community has once again extended financial and logistical support to the Philippines to help the victims of the Magnitude 7.0 quake that hit northern Luzon last week.
The United Nations, European Union , the United States, Japan, China and South Korea have made taken separate actions to help the Philippine government in its quake rehabilitation efforts.
UN Resident Coordinator to Manila Gustavo Gonzalez handed over satellite images generated by the UN Satellite Center in Geneva of the impact of the quake to Defense Secretary Jose Faustino
Likewise, the EU has delivered to Philippine government six high definition satellite images from their Copernicus Emergency Management Service in Laoag city in Ilocos Norte, Bantay town in Ilocos Sur and Dolores town in Abra, some 13 kiometers away from the quake epicenter. Copernicus satellite imagery was activated in Northern Luzon to assist relief agencies in their delivery of emergency assistance.
EU’s humanitarian arm, Bangkok-based European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), has dispatched a team to the quake areas and discovered for themselves the dire need of thousands of people who have lost their homes and livelihoods.
“Traumatized families have been forced to stay in tents and makeshift structure due to succesive aftershocks. Together with our humanitarian partners already on the ground, we are making sure that urgent assistance reaches thhose most in need as soon as possible,” ECHO programme lead Arlynn Aquino said.
The World Food Programme, UN’s largest humanitarian organization, in collaboration with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) provided logistical support to the Office of Civil Defense, the lead agency in the Philippines in the response efforts in Northern Luzon. USAID and the International Organization for Migration provided 3,000 shelter-grade tarps to communities who lost their shelter from the quake in Northern Luzon.
The EU Delegation in Manila said they will provide EUR 800,000 (PhP 45.27 million) in emergency funds to provide safe drinking water and sanitation, hygiene, mental health and psychosocial support services, as well as education to the most vulnerable in the hardest hit-areas.
South Korea has announced they will provide US$200,000 (about P11 million) humanitarian assistance. The Chinese Embassy and the Philippines Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry also donated to the Department of Social Welfare and Development emergency supplies worth P10 million to earthquake-stricken areas.
Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has turned over disaster relief goods to the DSWD. At the arrival ceremony held at the NAIA compound Thursday, Japanese Ambassador Koshikawa Kazuhiko turned over generators, camping tents, sleeping pads, portable jerry cans/ water containers, tarpaulins/ platic sheet cover, cord reels and adaptor plug sets.
“We hope that the disaster relief supplies will alleviate their hardhips and enable them to return to their eveeryday lives a oon as possible,” Ambasador Koshikawa said.
Image credits: P/Harley Palangchao