U.S. provides P27.6M humanitarian support for disaster response effort in PH

MANILA, Philippines-- The U.S. government has provided an additional P13.8M worth of funding to deliver emergency shelter assistance and hygiene kits to more than 3,000 families, or approximately 15,800 persons, remaining in evacuation centers in Rizal, Laguna, Bulacan, and Pampanga following severe flooding in July, bringing this latest assistance to P27.6M of U.S. humanitarian support for disaster response efforts in the Philippines.

Through this new tranche of funding, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distributed shelter-grade tarpaulins, shelter repair kits, and essential household supplies to families whose homes were damaged or destroyed.

Each shelter repair kit contains basic construction tools and materials to help families begin rebuilding their homes, promote health and sanitation and improve living conditions in evacuation centers. Families also received hygiene kits containing soap, buckets, and cleaning supplies. 

In addition to distributing relief items, IOM also monitored the condition of hygiene and sanitation facilities to ensure the safety and wellbeing of affected families.

“Although flooding has subsided in most areas, thousands of families remaining in evacuation centers continue to face significant challenges. We are grateful to be working alongside our partners, including IOM, the World Food Programme (WFP), the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and the DSWD to help affected families recover and rebuild,” U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Y. Robert Ewing said. 

The U.S. government earlier provided Php13.8 million ($250,000) in funding that supported WFP in delivering 47,700 DSWD family food packs that benefitted over 200,000 persons across Northern and Central Luzon.

U.S. military air assets, alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also supported Philippine-led operations to deliver 6,300 DSWD food packs for 18,000 persons in Batanes. (Photos: U.S. Embassy/ Google Images)