The European Union (EU) has released pound 800,000 or an estimated P54,380,800 in humanitarian aid to support relief operations for communities struck by recent cyclones and floods in the Philippines.
In their official statement released on Friday, October 3, the EU announced that the funds will be directed toward emergency assistance.
‘The funding will help address the most urgent needs of people in the hardest hit areas, including communities that are also affected by conflict,’ the EU said.
‘This allocation will be used to provide emergency relief in areas such as shelter, health, and water and sanitation,’ they added.
This latest contribution builds on the pound 6.5 million (an estimated P441,800,000) in humanitarian aid and disaster preparedness funding the EU has already provided to the Philippines this year.
That amount includes pound 500,000 (or almost P34,000,000) earmarked in July following an earlier string of tropical cyclones.
The EU delegation to the Philippines said it is also monitoring the aftermath of the Sept. 30 earthquake in Cebu.
‘The EU expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and stands ready to provide additional support pending on-going needs assessment,’ they said.
On Friday, October 3, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported that 457,554 individuals or 128,294 families were affected by the earthquake. /das