DFA: Help underway for Hawaii wildfire-stricken Filipinos

An aerial image taken on August 10, 2023 shows destroyed homes and buildings burned to the ground in the historic Lahaina in the aftermath of wildfires in western Maui in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Tuesday said operations to assist distressed Filipinos in Hawaii following the catastrophic wildfires are ongoing.

In a text message to INQUIRER.net, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, Hawaii, will help Filipinos there.

“Our consulate is proceeding to Wailuku in Maui today to assist distressed kababayans and to get verified information on casualties, missing persons, etc. They are in constant touch with the local authorities, as it is the latter who are responsible for these operations,” he said.

READ: Hawaii fire death toll nears 100, and anger grows

“The Filipino nation commiserates with the people of the State of Hawaii over this terrible tragedy,” he said.

Asked if the DFA already has the number of Filipinos affected by the wildfires, de Vega answered, “No exact data yet,” adding that there’s “no confirmed data on Filipino citizens affected by the disaster.”

READ: Explainer: How did the Hawaii wildfires start? What to know about the Maui and Big Island blazes

Citing data from the government of Hawaii, de Vega said the wildfires have already claimed the lives of at least 96 people and that the inferno is “being contained.”

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