MANILA-- The European Union (EU) will be extending EUR3 million or around PHP170 million to assist Filipinos affected by the recent Mindanao earthquakes and Typhoon Tisoy, which barreled through the country early December.
“We commend the actions of the Philippine government, whose preparedness measures before typhoon Tisoy saved the lives of those residing near the coast and landslide-prone areas,” said Janez Lenarčič, the EU Commissioner for Crisis Management.
“However, the number of people displaced from their homes due to natural disasters and conflict is still high and the EU is ready to help answer their more urgent needs,” he added.
The fresh funding will support global humanitarian aid organizations in their actions to deliver immediate assistance to those most affected by the typhoon, which caused widespread damage in the southeastern part of Luzon, and by the earthquakes in Mindanao.
In the aftermath of Tisoy, assistance will be provided through healthcare services, access to clean water and the distribution of emergency shelter materials, hygiene kits and essential household items that were lost in the disasters.
Meanwhile, a portion of the funding will target both displaced people and returnees in Mindanao and will focus on improving food security through humanitarian food assistance and the replacement or strengthening of lost and damaged livelihoods.
The EU delegation in Manila noted that part of the funding is coming from the EU’s Acute Large Emergency Response Tool, which allocated EUR800,000, and the EU’s overall contribution to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which contributed EUR200,000. (PNA)
