Japan to fly medical team to Philippines

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. AFP FILE PHOTO

TOKYO – Japan said it will send a 25-member relief team of mostly medical staff to the Philippines to provide aid in the wake of the devastation caused by Typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan).

Thousands are believed to have been killed in the typhoon that swept through the central part of the Philippines on Friday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference Monday: “We will provide as much support as we can to accommodate the needs of the disaster-hit areas and the Philippine government.”

The government has sent two Foreign Ministry officials to the Philippines to assess the extent of damage. The aid team will consist of doctors, nurses and pharmacists from the Japan Disaster Relief Team.