DAVAO ORIENTAL (Mindanao Examiner / Feb. 13, 2013) – With humanitarian needs still staggeringly high more than two months after typhoon Bopha (locally known as Pablo) devastated south-eastern Philippines, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it is appealing for more than P1.3 billion in additional funding to support aid operations for hundreds of thousands of survivors.
It said the destruction caused by the typhoon has left them with few resources, as most have lost not only their homes but also the sources of their livelihood.
“Together with the Philippine Red Cross, we will provide food and other essentials, such as tarpaulins, mosquito nets, cooking utensils, and soap and other hygiene items, for up to five months to 300,000 people who lost virtually everything during the typhoon,” Alain Aeschlimann, the ICRC’s head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific, said in a statement to the Mindanao Examiner.
“At the same time, we will strive to help restore livelihoods. Our assistance will include a cash-for-work program to upgrade agricultural production areas, and provide people with seed, seedlings, tools and equipment to enable them to restart farming,” he said.
He said to ensure that even the worst-affected communities can obtain basic necessities, the ICRC and its local partner Philippine Red Cross will support the repair of damaged water supply systems and the reconstruction of health facilities. Some 30,000 people will also benefit from the donation of building materials to fix their partially destroyed houses, according to Aeschlimann.
Aeschlimann said since the immediate aftermath of the typhoon on December, the ICRC, working together with the Philippine Red Cross, has already been providing 300,000 people with food and other vitally important supplies.
“It has also set up a field clinic, which admits more than 100 patients daily and offers free medical care for basic health problems, maternal and child health care, psychosocial support and vaccinations.”
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